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Jason-1
Status:
Completed
Mission Category:
Earth Observing System (EOS)
Launch Date: December 7, 2001
Launch Location: Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA
Actual Completion Date: July 1, 2013
The Jason spacecraft mapped ocean surface topography. The data collected provide information on ocean surface current velocity and heights which, when combined with ocean models, can lead to a four-dimensional description of ocean circulation. Data from Jason have also extended ocean surface topography into the 21st century, providing a 5-year view of global ocean surface topography, increasing understanding of ocean circulation, improving forecasting of climate events, and measuring global sea-level change.
Key Jason-1 Facts
| Mission/Portal Page: | http://science.nasa.gov/missions/jason-1/ |
|---|---|
| Launch Vehicle: | Delta II rocket |
| Altitude:Distance from sea level. | 1336km |
| Inclination: | 66° |
| Origination: | Joint with France |
| Instruments: |
DORIS (Doppler Orbitography and Radio-positining Integrated by Satellite) GPSP (Global Positioning System Payload))/TRSR (Turbo Rogue Space Receiver) JMR (Jason Microwave Radiometer) LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array) Poseidon-2 altimete |
| Project Scientist(s): |
Lee-Lueng Fu |
| Program Scientist(s): |
Eric Lindstrom |
Related Publications:
- Understanding Earth: Our Ocean (Booklets - 10.39 MB)
Relevant Science Focus Areas:
- Climate Variability and Change
- Water and Energy Cycles
Relevant Science Questions:
- How does the Earth system respond to natural and human-induced changes?
- How is the global Earth system changing?
Science Goals:
- Determine general ocean circulation and understand its role in Earth's climate, particularly how ocean circulation impacts Earth's hydrological and biogeochemical cycles.
- Study the variation of ocean circulation, on time scales ranging from seasonal and annual to decadal, and how this variation impacts climate change.
- Collaborate with other global ocean-monitoring programs to produce routine models of the global ocean for scientific and operational applications.
- Study large-scale ocean tides.
- Study geophysical processes and their effects on ocean surface topography.
Related Applications:
- Coastal Management
- Disaster Management