JAXA Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Current status of the ADEOS-II (or "Midori II")

National Space Development Agency of Japan

The current status of the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-II (or "Midori II"), which was launched at 01:31 UT 14 December 2002 from the Tanegashima Space Flight Center of the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), is described below.

• The image data of the solar array paddle (PDL) extension acquired by the Visual Monitoring System (VMS) was successfully acquired in the 5th revolution.
• Antenna of the SeaWinds of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/NASA was uncaged successfully in the 7th revolution.
• As the first step of the antenna deployment of the Inter Orbital Communication Subsystem (IOCS), three of four ordnances were ignited in the 8th revolution.

At present, the Attitude and Orbit Control System (AOCS) of ADEOS-II is operating with 1 N (Newton) thrusters only. And frequency of role axis thrusters (direction of ADEOS-II flight) burns has exceeded the planned*1. NASDA continues evaluation of the telemetry date of AOCS.

After data evaluations, the antenna deployment of IOCS (remaining ordnance ignition) scheduled initially in the 14th rev. and the ADEOS-II mode change*2 to next phase scheduled initially in the 15th rev. will be carried out.

NASDA continues monitoring the telemetry data for the troubles that some data of PDL tension monitoring system were found out of specification and an error flag was found in the telemetry data of the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR).

*1: The frequency of thrust burns increases 1.5 times to 3 times of the planned.
*2: The mode change of ADEOS-II AOCS system from thruster mode to Reaction Wheel mode.

[ ADEOS-II deployed solar array paddle as imaged by onboard camera ]

50 flexible panels with 55,680 solar cells were successfully deployed