The Greenhouse gas Observing SATellite (GOSAT) is a project developed jointly by JAXA, the Ministry of the Environment and the National Institute of Environmental Studies. It aims to observe from space the distribution of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, and to contribute to the prevention of global warming. Ground-based greenhouse-gas monitoring points are limited in number and distributed unequally throughout the world, so high-frequency observation by satellite is absolutely necessary. Proper monitoring of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere requires extremely sensitive instruments, which can detect as little as 4 parts per million of CO2. Building such a sensor is extremely challenging. Other than the United States, Japan is the only country in the world with this kind of satellite program, and GOSAT is one of the most advanced satellite projects in the world. The most attractive aspect of the GOSAT project is the fact that we can contribute to the prevention of global warming, an important issue for the entire human race. Though we are feeling the pressure to succeed, we are proud that we are involved in a project that is different from the more typical science and technology projects at JAXA. We are also highly excited and motivated by the design process, which allows us to take advantage of the latest technology in various fields, such as geophysics, communications, electronics, control systems, tectonics, thermotics, and reliability. We have a design meeting every day, and decide on the capabilities of the satellite and its gas sensor one by one. We intend to proceed with this project with strong determination and cool technical judgement. MORE >>