NSSDCA/COSPAR ID: 1987-018A
The Marine Observation Satellite (MOS-1) was Japan's first earth observation satellite. The three-axis stabilized spacecraft carried (1) a Multispectral Electronic Self-scanning Radiometer (MESSR) that collected data from both land and sea, (2) a Visible and Thermal Infrared Radiometer (VTIR) to measure sea surface temperature, (3) a Microwave Scanning Radiometer (MSR) to provide information on sea ice, snowfall, water vapor content at the ocean and in the atmosphere, and (4) a Data Collection System (DCS) transponder to collect observation data from drifting buoys. The spacecraft had a box-type shape with deployable solar panels. It was composed of two cubes, a bus module and a mission module, on which the three sensors were mounted. The spacecraft followed a sun-synchronous orbit with equatorial crossings in the descending node maintained between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. local time. The mission life was designed to be 2 years.
Launch Date: 1987-02-19
Launch Vehicle: N-2
Launch Site: Tanegashima, Japan
Mass: 750 kg
Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Mr. Y. Ishizawa | Project Manager | National Space Development Agency of Japan | |
Project Scientist | National Space Development Agency of Japan |