First Light Acquired By IBUKI (GOSAT) Onboard Sensors

This image is the "FIRST LIGHT" of the Cloud and Aerosol Imager (TANSO-CAI) onboard the "IBUKI". This was taken from the orbit over Japan at around 1300 (JST) on Feb. 7 2009. Clouds can be clearly identified from the image and the functions of the TANSO-CAI are confirmed nominal as designed.

by Staff Writers
Tokyo, Japan (JAXA) Feb 11, 2009
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) would like to announce that we successfully acquired the "First Light" by the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite "IBUKI" (GOSAT) during the course of its initial functional check.

The data was acquired by the onboard sensors of the IBUKI, the Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS) and the Cloud and Aerosol Imager (TANSO-CAI), which were just activated.

The IBUKI was launched by JAXA at 12:54 p.m. on January 23, 2009, (Japan Standard Time, JST) from the Tanegashima Space Center.

Its initial functional check, including checking the attitude control system and communication system, has been carried out on schedule, and the satellite is in good condition.

The attached diagrams and images show the observation results by the TANSO FTS and TANSO-CAI when the IBUKI passed over Japan at around 1:00 p.m. on February 7, 2009 (JST).

We will continue to carry out the initial functional check, which is scheduled to be completed in three months after its launch.

JAXA, the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) will then cooperatively carry out the initial calibration and validation operations including comparing IBUKI data and data acquired on the ground, confirming the data accuracy, and making compensations based on the data.

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