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ALOS

Distributors of data from the Australian Centre for Remote Sensing met in Canberra last week to hear an update on the current status of the Advanced Land Observing Satellite. If all goes according to plan, this platform will be one of ACRES' principal data sources in the next decade.

ALOS is being developed by JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

The satellite was due up in September, but a fault was discovered in similar transistors in another satellite. JAXA chose to delay the launch, even though the satellite itself appeared operational.

The expected launch date is now sometime in the middle of next year.

The Japanese plan to establish parallel distribution systems for both commercial and 'public good' data distribution. Public good data will be distributed free of royalties, but commercial operators will be expected to pay market price.

Data for both types of operation will be received at ACRES' Alice Springs downstation, as well as in Japan.

JAXA will retain responsibility for tasking the satellite. Tasks are assigned priority based on the order in which requests are received by JAXA. Special protocols have been agreed that will allow ACRES to nominate priority requests.

This stipulation will be particularly useful in emergency situations. However, even under the high priority conditions, JAXA cannot guarantee a tasking request in less than 12 hours.