ALOS-4 "DAICHI-4" (JAXA)

JAXA's DAICHI-4 radar sees through clouds over a 200 km swath, continuing the radar record used for deforestation alerts.

Image: NASA.

The Five W's of ALOS-4 "DAICHI-4"

Who

JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Source: JAXA, ALOS-4 project page

What

A radar satellite with the PALSAR-3 L-band synthetic aperture radar and a ship-tracking receiver.

Source: JAXA, ALOS-4 project page

When

Launched July 1, 2024 on H3 flight No. 3 from Tanegashima.

Source: JAXA, ALOS-4 launch result

Where

Low Earth orbit, imaging land, forests and oceans day and night.

Source: JAXA, ALOS-4 project page

Why

Forests cover 30% of the world's land, and deforestation is strongly linked to rising greenhouse gases.

Source: JAXA, ALOS-4 project page

Impact Statement

Agency solution · active

Tropical forests are often under cloud, which hides clearing from ordinary cameras. JAXA's ALOS-4 "DAICHI-4", launched July 1, 2024, carries the L-band PALSAR-3 radar, which sees through clouds and widens the observation swath from 50 km to 200 km at high resolution. Its predecessor's data already powers JAXA's JJ-FAST system, which detects deforestation of a few hectares in 77 countries.

Source: JAXA, ALOS-4 launch result

Source: JAXA, ALOS-4 project page

For Further Information: JAXA, ALOS-4 project page

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