Information Gathering Satellite ( Jap. 情報 収集 х Jo: ho: Shu: shu: Eisei , a "data-gathering satellite") is the Japanese state-owned reconnaissance satellite launch program. The main objective of the program is the early detection of the threat of missile launches. It was initiated in 1998 in response to a test launch by North Korea of a ballistic missile that flew over Japan. At that time, Japan bought satellite imagery from the United States and France and did not have information about the launch, until it was reported by the US military. In order to ensure independence in obtaining satellite information, it was decided to create its own satellite constellation of 4 devices of two different types: two with optical instruments for shooting in the daytime, and two with radar installations based on the technology of radar aperture synthesis , allowing images at night and in bad weather conditions. Development costs cost 250 billion yen . The production of satellites is carried out by Mitsubishi Electric . The detailed technical characteristics of the satellites are secret, but it is known that the first generation of optical satellites made it possible to take images of the Earth’s surface with a spatial resolution of up to 1 m, and radar satellites - up to several meters [1] [2] [3] .
History
The first pair of satellites, one of each type, officially referred to as IGS-1A and IGS-1B, was launched into orbit 486 × 491 km with an inclination of 97.3 ° by the H-IIA launch vehicle on March 28, 2003 [2] [4 ] ] . During the launch of the second pair of vehicles, the launch vehicle crashed, which did not allow the satellites to enter orbit. The missile was destroyed on command from the ground in the 11th minute of the flight [5] .
The next optical satellite, IGS-3A, was launched only on September 11, 2006 [6] .
On February 24, 2007, two more devices were launched, the third optical satellite IGS-4A (prototype of a new generation) and the second radar satellite IGS-4B, which allowed to complete the creation of a constellation of 4 satellites [7] .
A month later, on March 27, 2007, it was reported that the first launched radar satellite had failed due to power problems [8] . The satellite gradually left orbit and collapsed when entering the atmosphere on July 26, 2012 [3] .
The fourth optical satellite IGS-5A, with better resolution than its predecessors, was launched on November 28, 2009 [9] .
In the summer of 2010, the IGS-4B radar satellite crashed for unknown reasons; it burned out in the atmosphere in November 2013 [3] .
The fifth optical satellite, IGS-6A, a fourth-generation satellite with a spatial resolution of up to 60 cm, and the third radar satellite IGS-7A, were launched in September and December 2011, respectively [4] [3] .
On January 27, 2013, the next pair, the fourth radar satellite, the third-generation device IGS-8A, and the optical satellite IGS-8B, the prototype of the fifth generation, were launched into orbit 513 km high. Subsequently, the IGS-8B descended into orbit at an altitude of 427 km [10] [3] [4] .
On February 1, 2015, a radar satellite for the orbital reserve, IGS-9A, also called IGS-Radar Spare, was launched [11] .
The fifth generation satellite IGS-Optical 5, with a resolution better than 50 cm, was launched on March 26, 2015 [12] .
Satellite List
| Launch date ( UTC ) | Rocket- carrier | Satellite | Designation NORAD | Generation apparatus | NSSDC ID | SCD | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 28, 2003 | H-IIA 2024 | IGS-Optical 1 | IGS 1A | the first | 2003-009A | 27698 | not used |
| IGS-Radar 1 | IGS 1B | the first | 2003-009B | 27699 | not used | ||
| November 29, 2003 | H-IIA 2024 | IGS-Optical 2 | the first | Failed start | |||
| IGS-Radar 2 | the first | Failed start | |||||
| September 11, 2006 | H-IIA 202 | IGS-Optical 2 | IGS 3A | second | 2006-037A | 29393 | not used |
| February 24, 2007 | H-IIA 2024 | IGS-Optical 3V | IGS 4A | the third | 2007-005A | 30586 | not used |
| IGS-Radar 2 | IGS 4B | second | 2007-005B | 30587 | not used | ||
| November 28, 2009 | H-IIA 202 | IGS-Optical 3 | IGS 5A | the third | 2009-066A | 36104 | not used |
| September 22, 2011 | H-IIA 202 | IGS-Optical 4 | IGS 6A | fourth | 2011-050A | 37813 | acting |
| December 12, 2011 | H-IIA 202 | IGS-Radar 3 | IGS 7A | the third | 2011-075A | 37954 | acting |
| January 27, 2013 | H-IIA 202 | IGS-Radar 4 | IGS 8A | the third | 2013-002A | 39061 | acting |
| IGS-Optical 5V | IGS 8B | fifth | 2013-002B | 39062 | not used | ||
| February 1, 2015 | H-IIA 202 | IGS-Radar Spare | IGS 9A | the third | 2015-004A | 40381 | acting |
| March 26, 2015 | H-IIA 202 | IGS-Optical 5 | IGS OPTICAL 5 | fifth | 2015-015A | 40538 | acting |
| March 17, 2017 [13] | H-IIA 202 | IGS-Radar 5 | IGS RADAR-5 | fourth | 2017-015A | 42072 | acting |
| February 27, 2018 [14] | H-IIA 202 | IGS-Optical 6 | launched |
Notes
- ↑ Information Gathering Satellites - Background . GlobalSecurity.org .
- ↑ 1 2 Analysis: Japan's spy satellites . BBC (March 28, 2003).
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 Information Gathering Satellites . Spaceflight101 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 IGS . Encyclopedia Astronautica .
- ↑ Japanese launch fails . Spaceflight Now (November 29, 2003).
- ↑ Japan launches new spy satellite . BBC (September 11, 2006).
- ↑ Japanese rocket puts spy spacecraft into orbit . Spaceflight Now (February 24, 2007).
- ↑ Japanese Spy Satellite Suffers Critical Power Failure . Space War (March 27, 2007).
- ↑ Japan launches spy satellite under veil of secrecy . Spaceflight Now (November 28, 2009).
- ↑ With Launch, Japan Begins Rebuilding IGS Spy Satellite Network . Space News (January 29, 2013).
- ↑ Japan Launches Spare IGS Radar Recon Satellite on H-2A . Space News (February 1, 2015).
- ↑ Japanese H-IIA Rocket successfully launches IGS Reconnaissance Satellite . Spaceflight101 (March 26, 2015).
- ↑ Japan launched a reconnaissance satellite rocket (Russian) , TASS . Date of treatment March 17, 2017.
- ↑ William Graham. Japanese H-IIA launches IGS Optical 6 satellite . NASASpaceflight . Date of treatment February 27, 2018.