Abstract
The Chinese and French Space Agencies are jointly preparing a satellite mission devoted to the monitoring of the ocean surface and related science and applications. This is the so-called “China France Oceanography SATellite” (CFOSAT), to be launched around 2013. This mission will provide simultaneous and collocated observations of wind at the ocean surface and spectral properties of surface ocean waves using two scatterometers, both in Ku-Band: SWIM for measurements of directional wave spectra and SCAT for wind vector measurements. The SWIM instrument will use a real aperture observation technique so as to avoid limitations encountered with SAR systems. This paper describes the main objectives and characteristics of the mission with a focus on the SWIM instrument designed and developed under French responsibility to measure directional spectra of ocean waves.
Highlights
The Chinese and French Space Agencies are jointly preparing a satellite mission devoted to the monitoring of the ocean surface and related science and applications
The platform will embark two payloads, both are radar at Ku-band (13.2 to 13.6 GHz) scanning around the vertical axis; one is SWIM ‘Surface Waves Investigation and Monitoring)’, which is a 6-beam radar at small incidence (0 to 10°), with the nadir pointing beam providing like standard altimeter missions wind speed and significant wave height and the 6 to 10° beams devoted to the measurement of directional spectra of ocean waves; it is a wave scatterometer; the other one is SCAT which is a rotating fanbeam wind-scatterometer covering the 20-60° incidence angles
China France Oceanography SATellite” (CFOSAT) will provide at the global scale, observations of wind vector, directional energy spectra of ocean waves, significant wave height, steepness of long waves, and parameters characterizing the statistics of wave slopes
Summary
The Chinese and French Space Agencies are jointly preparing a satellite mission devoted to the monitoring of the ocean surface and related science and applications. CFOSAT will provide at the global scale, observations of wind vector, directional energy spectra of ocean waves (with wavelength between 70 and 500 m), significant wave height, steepness of long waves, and parameters characterizing the statistics of wave slopes (for waves with wavelength larger than a few tens of centimetres). SWIM is designed to measure spectral properties of ocean waves based on the Jackson et al.’s concept [1] and used since the 90’s on airborne systems [2,3].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
