Future Earth observation program in JAXA

Abstract

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has some Earth observation programs such as disaster and crisis monitoring, investigation of the Earth resources, global environmental to contribute to a safe and secure society. Presently, there are many global issues such as shortage of water resources, desertification, increase in natural disasters, which inflict a serious impact on our community. To overcome such problems and take appropriate measures against them, it is necessary to cooperate among many countries and ensure the establishment of a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained Earth observation. The 2nd Earth Observation Summit was held in April 2004 and adopted the framework for the 10-year implementation plan, aimed at the establishment of an integrated earth observation system of systems, so called Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). JAXA has been developping a future Earth observation program to contribute the GEOSS in cooperate with other space agencies. JAXA committed the contribution to GEOSS using satellites such as ALOS, GPM/DPR and GOSAT mainly focused on observations of global warming and water cycle at the 2nd Summit. In addition, JAXA will propose a series of satellites for establishing GEOSS to monitor climate change. JAXA is studying the Global Change Observation Mission (GCOM) to contribute to process study, prediction of the global change phenomena and the preservation of the global environments.