NEC Announces Role in JAXA’s Water Cycle Observation Satellite

SHIZUKU launched from the Tanegashima Space Center on May 18. Now in orbit, the satellite has successfully deployed its solar arrays and a large-scale rotating antenna (advanced microwave scanning radiometer 2:AMSR2(1).

In addition to NEC’s development of satellite systems, including core bus systems (2), the company also supported the development of ground systems (including satellite control systems and mission operation systems for data processing), assisted in launch site operations and confirmed post-launch satellite conditions. Over the next three months, NEC will continue checking satellite functions and supporting the distribution of observation data.

SHIZUKU is the first satellite to begin operating under the Global Change Observation Mission (GCOM), whichis carrying out long term global observations of environmental changes from space. GCOM’s primary goal is to better understand the state of the Earth’s water cycle and climate change. The Mission consists of two series of satellites. SHIZUKU is a member of the GCOM-W series, which observes water cycles. The second series, GCOM-C, observes climate change.

SHIZUKU is equipped with a microwave scanning radiometer that utilizes a large-scale rotating antenna to make global observations on precipitation, water vapor, wind speeds over the ocean and sea surface temperatures, all of which is expected to advance the understanding of climate change and weather prediction.

Going forward, NEC aims to capitalize on its state-of-the-art space technologies in order to drive the advancement of an information society that is friendly to people and the earth.

(1) Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2): A sensor used to observe the natural emission of microwave electromagnetic waves from the ground surface, ocean surface, atmosphere and others.

(2) Satellite Bus Systems: Systems that provide fundamental satellite functions, including communications equipment, solar arrays, telemetry command, orbit control, electricity control, thermal control, etc.

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Contact:

Takehiko Kato
NEC Corporation
t-kato@cj.jp.nec.com
+81-3-3798-6511

Joseph Jasper
NEC Corporation
j-jasper@ax.jp.nec.com
+81-3-3798-6511