GCOM-A1 science plan [Global Change Observation Mission]

GCOM-A1 is one of the satellite programs as follow-on of ADEOS and ADEOS-II. GCOM-A1 is under planning, which is targeting for the launch in 2007 (January-March). GCOM (Global Change Observation Mission) is a Japan´s new concept for systematic and long-term observation global environment and climate system from space. The mission concept of GCOM covers 15 years starting from ADEOS-II (February 2002 to 2007), GCOM-A1 and -B1 (2007-2012), and GCOM-A2 and -B2 (2012-17). Within this mission period, key geophysical parameters necessary to document and understand global changes and climate variability will be measured continuously, but it does not mean the same instruments will be deployed over 10 or 15 years. GCOM-A1 will be a satellite dedicated to measure parameters related to atmospheric chemistry and dynamics. It will carry three instruments, ODUS (Ozone Dynamics Ultraviolet Spectrometer) by NASDA, SOFIS (Solar Occultation FTS for Inclined orbit Satellite) by the Ministry of Environment of Japan, and SWIFT (Stratospheric Wind Interferometer For Transport studies) by ESA and CSA. ODUS is a satellite-borne, nadir-looking ultraviolet spectrometer for measuring total column ozone, SO₂, aerosols, NO₂, HCHO, BrO, and OClO. It will be NASDA´s core instrument for GCOM-A1. SOFIS is a successor of ADEOS/ILAS and ADEOS-II/ILAS-II by using the solar occultation technique in the infrared region. SWIFT is a successor of UARS/WINDII but using the 9 μm ozone emission line to measure the stratospheric winds (<5 m/sec from 20 to 45 km). The GCOM-A1 satellite will have a 650 km and 65 to 70 degree inclination orbit to enable good global coverage for SOFIS