Information Gathering Satellite
Encyclopedia
An Information Gathering Satellite (IGS) is a satellite
in a Japan
ese spy satellite
program. It was started as a response to the 1998 North Korean missile test over Japan. The satellite program's main mission is to provide early warning of impending hostile launches in the neighborhood. This program is under direct control of the cabinet.
However, Earth observation is a rather new field for Japan. The first Japanese mission in this field MOS-1
was launched only in 1987.
The first pair of satellites, IGS 1A and IGS 1B, was launched on March 28, 2003 aboard an H-IIA
rocket. The radar satellite of the pair stopped working in March 2007. The program suffered a big setback when Japan lost the second pair of satellites because of an H-IIA
launch failure on November 29, 2003. All of the Information Gathering Satellites were launched by an H-IIA
rocket from Tanegashima Space Center
.
On 28 March 2003, presumably partly in response to North Korea
's launch of a Taepodong
rocket over Japan in 1998, and partly to provide a source of satellite images other than through cooperation with the US, where the US charged roughly $10,000US dollars for each satellite image, Japan launched a radar and an optical spy satellite
, officially known as IGS-1A and IGS-1B. These satellites follow one another at 37-minute separation in a 492 km orbit, which passes over Pyongyang
at 11:22 each day, according to observations collected on the seesat-L mailing list.
A second pair of satellites officially known as IGS 2A and IGS 2B were lost in an H-IIA
launch accident in November 2003. Except the satellite which failed in launching, a second optical surveillance satellite IGS 3A was launched on 11 September 2006. A third optical satellite IGS 4A and a second radar satellite IGS 4B were launched on 24 February 2007. IGS 4A is a more advanced and experimental optical satellite. A fourth optical satellite IGS 5A was launched on 28 November 2009. This satellite has the resolution that is higher than previous generation. It is the second generational optical satellite. Late March 2007, the first SAR satellite in the series, IGS 1B, suffered a critical power failure. The satellite has since been observed to steadily come down and is clearly no longer under control. An uncontrolled re-entry of this satellite is expected in 2012 or 2013 Since summer 2010, another of the SAR satellites, IGS 4B has also been unable to carry out its monitoring functions.
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
in a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese spy satellite
Spy satellite
A spy satellite is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications....
program. It was started as a response to the 1998 North Korean missile test over Japan. The satellite program's main mission is to provide early warning of impending hostile launches in the neighborhood. This program is under direct control of the cabinet.
However, Earth observation is a rather new field for Japan. The first Japanese mission in this field MOS-1
MOS-1 (satellite)
MOS-1 - "Marine Observation Satellite 1", also known as "Momo-1" - was Japan's first earth observation satellite. It was launched on 19 February 1987 on a N-2 rocket from Tanegashima....
was launched only in 1987.
The first pair of satellites, IGS 1A and IGS 1B, was launched on March 28, 2003 aboard an H-IIA
H-IIA
H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary...
rocket. The radar satellite of the pair stopped working in March 2007. The program suffered a big setback when Japan lost the second pair of satellites because of an H-IIA
H-IIA
H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary...
launch failure on November 29, 2003. All of the Information Gathering Satellites were launched by an H-IIA
H-IIA
H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary...
rocket from Tanegashima Space Center
Tanegashima Space Center
The is one of Japan's space development facilities. It is located on Tanegashima, an island located 115 km south of Kyūshū. It was established in 1969 when the National Space Development Agency of Japan was formed...
.
On 28 March 2003, presumably partly in response to North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
's launch of a Taepodong
Taepodong
The name Taepodong can refer to various topics related to North Korea:* Musudan-ri, a rocket launching facility located in an area once known as Taepo-dong when Korean was occupied by Japan...
rocket over Japan in 1998, and partly to provide a source of satellite images other than through cooperation with the US, where the US charged roughly $10,000US dollars for each satellite image, Japan launched a radar and an optical spy satellite
Spy satellite
A spy satellite is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications....
, officially known as IGS-1A and IGS-1B. These satellites follow one another at 37-minute separation in a 492 km orbit, which passes over Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
at 11:22 each day, according to observations collected on the seesat-L mailing list.
A second pair of satellites officially known as IGS 2A and IGS 2B were lost in an H-IIA
H-IIA
H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary...
launch accident in November 2003. Except the satellite which failed in launching, a second optical surveillance satellite IGS 3A was launched on 11 September 2006. A third optical satellite IGS 4A and a second radar satellite IGS 4B were launched on 24 February 2007. IGS 4A is a more advanced and experimental optical satellite. A fourth optical satellite IGS 5A was launched on 28 November 2009. This satellite has the resolution that is higher than previous generation. It is the second generational optical satellite. Late March 2007, the first SAR satellite in the series, IGS 1B, suffered a critical power failure. The satellite has since been observed to steadily come down and is clearly no longer under control. An uncontrolled re-entry of this satellite is expected in 2012 or 2013 Since summer 2010, another of the SAR satellites, IGS 4B has also been unable to carry out its monitoring functions.
Timetable
| Launch Date (UTC) | Japanese Government Designation | Sensor Type | NORAD ID | International code | Status | |Initial Orbital Parameter | Vehicle | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 28, 2003 | IGS 1A | IGS-Optical 1 | Optical Optoelectronics Optoelectronics is the study and application of electronic devices that source, detect and control light, usually considered a sub-field of photonics. In this context, light often includes invisible forms of radiation such as gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet and infrared, in addition to visible light... |
27698 | 2003-009A | Operational | 1st generation of optical | Panchromatic sensor:About 1 m (mono) Multi-spectral sensor Multi-spectral image A multispectral image is one that captures image data at specific frequencies across the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelengths may be separated by filters or by the use of instruments that are sensitive to particular wavelengths, including light from frequencies beyond the visible light range,... :About 5 m (color) |
486–491 km, 97.3°, 94.4 min | H2A H-IIA H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary... 2024 |
Success |
| IGS 1B | IGS-Radar 1 | SAR Synthetic aperture radar Synthetic-aperture radar is a form of radar whose defining characteristic is its use of relative motion between an antenna and its target region to provide distinctive long-term coherent-signal variations that are exploited to obtain finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional... |
27699 | 2003-009B | Non-Operational from March 2007 | 1st generation of SAR | About 1~3 m | ||||
| November 29, 2003 | IGS 2A | Nameless for launching failure | Optical | N/A | N/A | Non-Operational | 1st generation of optical | Same as IGS 1A | N/A | H2A H-IIA H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary... 2024 |
Failure |
| IGS 2B | Nameless for launching failure | SAR | N/A | N/A | Non-Operational | 1st generation of SAR | Same as IGS 1B | ||||
| September 11, 2006 | IGS 3A | IGS-Optical 2 | Optical | 29393 | 2006-037A | Operational | 2nd generation of optical (Improved type) |
Same as the 1st generation | 478–479 km, 97.4°, 94.2 min | H2A H-IIA H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary... 202 |
Success |
| February 24, 2007 | IGS 4A | IGS-Experimentally Optical 3 | Optical | 30586 | 2007-005A | Operational | 2nd generation of optical (Largely improved type) |
About 0.6 m | 481–494 km, 97.2°, 94.4 min | H2A H-IIA H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary... 2024 |
Success |
| IGS 4B | IGS-Radar 2 | SAR | 30587 | 2007-005B | Non-Operational since summer 2010 | 2nd generation of SAR (Improved type) |
Same as the 1st generation | ||||
| November 28, 2009 | IGS 5A | IGS-Optical 3 | Optical | 36104 | 2009-066A | Operational | 2nd generation of optical (Largely improved type) |
About 0.6 m | Unknown | H2A H-IIA H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary... 202 |
Success |
| Septembre 22, 2011 | IGS 6A | IGS-Optical 4 | Optical | 37813 | 2011-050A | Operational | 3rd generation of optical | Same as the 2nd generation | Unknown | H2A H-IIA H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary... 202 |
Success |
External links
- "Lifting The Darkness On Japan's Next Spy Satellite", SpaceDaily, Nov 27, 2006.