ADEOS overview Original Research Article

ADEOS is the first polar orbit earth observation platform equipped with multiple earth observation sensors and it is no exaggeration to say that its scientific results will determine the future trends of global environment observation. It was launched from Tanegashima Space Center on 17 Aug. 1996, and all the 8 sensors on-board were operational. However, ADEOS suddenly stopped its operation on 30 June 1997 due to solar paddle failure. During its operation period of 9 months, ADEOS sent data on the global environment. Most of the planned data sets are being developed, and some kinds of data sets, such as polar ice data sets from NSCAT, which were not planned, are also developed. Another finding was that the combination use of sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll made it possible to understand the dynamics of water mass better than before. Scientific results from these ADEOS data sets are not sufficient now, but it is certified that ADEOS will largely contribute to better understanding of global changes though it has stopped after 9 months operation. This paper describes the outline of the ADEOS science program and its current status.