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Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason-2 (OSTM/Jason-2)
Status:
Completed
Mission Category:
Other
Launch Date: January 20, 2008
Launch Location: Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA
Actual Completion Date: October 1, 2019
The Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM), a continuation of the TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason missions, is based on the science and pre-operational returns of these two missions and will support global and regional operational applications. Like its predecessors, OSTM will map ocean surface topography and the data collected will 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 OSTM will extend the time series of ocean surface topography measurements for detecting previously unknown changes on decadal scales, increase understanding of ocean circulation, improve forecasting of climate events, and measure global sea level change.
Key Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason-2 Facts
| Mission/Portal Page: | http://science.nasa.gov/missions/ostm/ |
|---|---|
| Altitude:Distance from sea level. | 1336km |
| Inclination: | 66° |
| Origination: | Joint with NOAA, CNES, and EUMETSAT |
| Instruments: |
AMR (Advanced Microwave Radiometer) Carmen-2 (The Environment Characterization and Modelisation-2) DORIS (Doppler Orbitography and Radio-positining Integrated by Satellite) GPSP (Global Positioning System Payload))/TRSR (Turbo Rogue Space Receiver) LPT (Light Particle Telescope) LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array) Poseidon-3 Altimeter T2L2 (Time Transfer by Laser Link) |
| Project Scientist(s): |
Lee-Lueng Fu |
Related Publications:
- Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason-2 (Mission Brochures - 4.66 MB)
- El Niño and La Niña (Postcards - 2.49 MB)
- 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?
- How will the Earth system change in the future?
Science Goals:
- OSTM will continue to meet the following science goals of the ocean surface topography effort:
- 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 examine 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