JERS-1 - Earth Online

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About JERS-1

JERS-1 (Japanese Earth Resources Satellite) was an environmental Japanese satellite, also known as 'Fuyo-1', which launched on 11 February 1992 and ceased operations in October 1998. JERS-1 was a radar/optical mission and was developed by NASDA, the National Space Development Agency of Japan.

*JERS-1 Mission Parameters*
Orbit Height	568km
Orbit Type	Sun Synchronous
Repeat Cycle	44 days

JERS-1 Objectives

The overall objectives of JERS-1 were the generation of global data sets with SAR and OPS sensors aimed at surveying resources, establishing an integrated Earth observation system, verifying instrument/system performances. The mission applications focused on survey of geological phenomena, land usage, observation of coastal regions, geologic maps, environment, disaster monitoring and demonstration of two-pass SAR interferometry for change detection.

JERS-1 Instruments

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)

JERS-1 carried an early example of a SAR instrument. It was an L-band (HH polarisation) synthetic aperture radar.

*Performance parameters of the JERS-1/SAR instrument*
Center Frequency	1.275 GHz (L-band, 23.5 cm wavelength)
Bandwidth	15 MHz
Spatial Resolution	18 m (range) x 18 m (azimuth, 3 looks)
Swath Width	175 km
Transmitting Power	35 µs
PRF (Pulse Repetition Frequency)	1505.8 - 1606.0 Hz
Antenna Polarization Look angle Antenna gain Signal to ambiguity ratio	Array of 1024 microstrip radiation elements HH 35.21° >33.5 dB >14 dB
Data Quantization	3 bits
Data Rate	3 Mbit/s

Optical Sensor (OPS)

This was a nadir-pointing multi-spectral imager.

*Specification of OPS Spectral Bands*
Band No	Spectral Range	General Application
1	0.52 - 0.60 µm VIS (green)	Vegetation surveys, land use, water monitoring
2	0.63 - 0.69 µm VIS (red)	Chlorophyll absorption for vegetation differentiation
3	0.76 - 0.86 µm NIR	Biomass surveys (nadir viewing)
4	0.76 - 0.86 µm NIR	Biomass surveys (forward looking, at 15.3º to give stereo coverage with band 3)
5	1.60 - 1.71 µm (SWIR)	Vegetation moisture
6	2.01 - 2.12 µm (SWIR)	Hydrothermal mapping (eg. soils; geology)
7	2.13 - 2.25 µm (SWIR)	Hydrothermal mapping (eg. soils; geology)
8	2.27 - 2.40 µm (SWIR)	Hydrothermal mapping (eg. soils; geology)

Non-scientific measuring instrument

AVNIR: Side-looking optical camera.

JERS-1 Data

DATA DESCRIPTION

ESA offers to registered user the access through the Online Dissemination server to the following data collections:

DATA QUALITY

The SAR Precision Image product is a multi-look (speckle-reduced), ground range, system corrected image. The product is calibrated and corrected for the SAR antenna pattern and range-spreading loss: radar backscatter can be derived from the product for geophysical modelling, but no correction is applied for terrain-induced radiometric effects. The image is not geocoded and terrain distortion (foreshortening and layover) has not been removed.

JERS-1 INSTRUMENTS

JERS-1 DATA