Latest news with #GOSAT
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Japan launches third rocket to measure climate change
June 29 (UPI) -- A Japanese company has launched a rocket designed to monitor sea temperature and greenhouse gases as part of its overall mission to study the effects of climate change on the atmosphere. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Companylaunched its 50th and final H-2A rocket mission, sending the GOSAT-GW into orbit from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on Sunday. This is the third GOSAT mission to study the effects of climate change on ocean temperatures and fossil fuel and other greenhouse gases and their effect on the planet's ecosystems. The Sunday mission joins the previous flights already in orbit, GCOM-W2, which launched in 2012, known as "SHIZIKU," and GOSAT-1, known as "IBUKI," which was deployed in 2009. Among other instruments, GOSAT-GW is carrying a spectrometer named TANSO to aid in measuring the effects of greenhouse-related climate change. "The obtained data will be used to monitor water vapor profiles, sea ice, and soil water content," the GOSAT website said. Other instruments will monitor sunlight reflection during daylight hours and target and other large emission sources such as power loans and oil and gas facilities.
UPI
3 days ago
- Science
- UPI
Japan launches third rocket to measure climate change
A Falcon 9 with Dragon Spacecraft carrying NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Mission lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in partnership with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in March. File photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo June 29 (UPI) -- A Japanese company has launched a rocket designed to monitor sea temperature and greenhouse gases as part of its overall mission to study the effects of climate change on the atmosphere. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Company launched its 50th and final H-2A rocket mission, sending the GOSAT-GW into orbit from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on Sunday. This is the third GOSAT mission to study the effects of climate change on ocean temperatures and fossil fuel and other greenhouse gases and their effect on the planet's ecosystems. The Sunday mission joins the previous flights already in orbit, GCOM-W2, which launched in 2012, known as "SHIZIKU," and GOSAT-1, known as "IBUKI," which was deployed in 2009. Among other instruments, GOSAT-GW is carrying a spectrometer named TANSO to aid in measuring the effects of greenhouse-related climate change. "The obtained data will be used to monitor water vapor profiles, sea ice, and soil water content," the GOSAT website said. Other instruments will monitor sunlight reflection during daylight hours and target and other large emission sources such as power loans and oil and gas facilities.
Yomiuri Shimbun
25-05-2025
- Science
- Yomiuri Shimbun
New Satellite to Make Detailed Survey of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Across Entire Globe in 3 Days
The Yomiuri Shimbun Observation satellite GOSAT-GW is unveiled to the press at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture last Tuesday. To enhance the observation of greenhouse gases from space, the government will launch a new satellite in June. GOSAT-GW, the third in its series, is capable of performing observations across a plane rather than the current method of observing each point. This makes it possible to survey the earth's entire surface within three days. The government will also strive to swiftly make public the analytical findings of the observations, with the use of AI, thus supporting the often-sluggish efforts of various countries to fight global warming. The Environment Ministry launched its first greenhouse gas observing satellite, GOSAT, in 2009, and the second one in 2018 to measure atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and other gases. Since the current GOSAT series satellites can only observe points of about 200 kilometers distance at a time, observations have been limited to the country level. On the other hand, the GOSAT-GW can make observations across a wide plane in one go. According to the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), its sensors can observe an area of about 900 kilometers at a time, allowing a seamless survey of the entire globe. With its spatial resolution set to be up to 100-fold greater than the current satellites, the new satellite will enable city-level measurements of emissions. The GOSAT-GW is also capable of measuring nitrogen dioxide (NO2), an air pollutant emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels at such facilities as thermal power plants, which is useful for estimating the possible sources of greenhouse gases and their amounts more accurately. The new satellite is capable of making simultaneous measurements of both CO2 and NO2, a world first.a The monitored data will be analyzed by the NIES using AI and other methods, and the NIES aims to make the findings public online within two to three days. The GOSAT-GW is scheduled to be mounted aboard the H2A rocket No. 50, to be launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on June 24. Countries and regions must report their greenhouse gas emissions to the United Nations if they are members of the Paris Agreement, an international framework on global warming countermeasures. Since last year, developing countries have also been included, but some countries are unable to prepare accurate data. Furthermore, the United States' announcement of its withdrawal from the agreement has raised concerns about delays in countermeasures. The government has already provided emissions analysis results to five countries, including Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan, and aims to make satellite-based verification methods an international standardization. 'We want to support decarbonization efforts by countries and companies by disseminating objective data measured via satellite observations, both at home and abroad,' said Hiroshi Tanimoto, Director of the Earth System Division of the NIES.
