Japanese climate change observation system for next generation

Japanese satellite for climate change observation, named ADEOS-II, was lost in October 2003. A quick concept study to compensate the loss of ADEOS-II was made. Regarding climate change study, we found the importance to monitor human activity effect for climate change is important as well as to study the natural climate system and variation by global observation. Moreover, the results from previous satellite ADEOS-II suggests the possibility of global observation and human activity monitoring, which requires certain resolution to distinguish regional change. Thus, the concept of the mission objectives is focusing human activity effect on climate change. The new system, named Global Change Observation Mission: GCOM, consists of two satellites. One satellite carrying microwave radiometer: AMSR2 and a scattarometer, and another satellite carrying multi-spectral imaging radiometer: SGLI. These satellites are named GCOM-winds: GCOM-W and GCOM-climate: GCOM-C, respectively. This system will be continued for over 13 years to observe climate change together with other specific Japanese or Japanese joined satellites, namely, Greenhouse gas observation satellites: GOSAT, Global precipitation measurement: GPM with NASA and Earth cloud aerosol and radiation explorer: EarthCARE with ESA. GCOM-W and GCOM-C are proposed to be launched in 2009 and 2010, respectively.