GCOM-C & SLATS

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

01:26:22

Saturday December 23, 2017

Watch Replay

Official Livestream

Mission Details

GCOM-C

Wiki

GCOM-C (Global Change Observation Mission – Climate "Shikisai"), the first satellite in the GCOM-C series, will monitor global climate change by observing the surface and atmosphere of Earth over the course of 5 years. Through use of its SGLI (Second generation Global Imager) optical instrument, it will collect data related to the carbon cycle and radiation budget, such as measurements of clouds, aerosols, ocean color, vegetation, and snow and ice.

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

1 Payload

1,950 kilograms

SLATS

Wiki

SLATS, the Super Low Altitude Test Satellite, is a JAXA satellite intended to demonstrate operations in very low Earth orbit (below 200 km), using ion engines to cancel out aerodynamic drag and equipped with sensors to determine atomic oxygen density, an exposure facility to measure material degradation in the 200 km orbit, and a small camera.

Polar Orbit

1 Payload

350 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
H-IIA 202

Active 2001 to 2025

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries logo

Agency

MHI

Price

$90.00 million

Rocket

Height: 53m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 10,000 kg

GTO: 4,100 kg

Fairing

Diameter: 4.07m

Height: 12m

Stages

2

Strap-ons

2

Launch Site

LA-Y1

Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

Fastest Turnaround

25 days 4 hours

Stats

H-IIA


37th

Mission

6th

Mission of 2017

2017


87th

Orbital launch attempt