Mission Design and Analysis for New ALOS-2

1 FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

1.1 Performance
1.1.1 Primary Objective

To help resolve local issues such as food security, water resource

scarcity, disaster prevention and biological diversity conservation that
also require support and collaboration from the global viewpoint, it is
necessary to continuously obtain local information on land, water, and
vegetation resources at global scale. ALOS-1 has been instrumental to
address such concerns by fulfilling its task of serving as a backbone for
the earth observation equipment. Accurate information helps the
sensors to produce high quality images of a level that is among the best
worldwide. As a follow-on project to ALOS-1 which operated for five
years until experiencing a complete power loss in 2011, ALOS-2
continues the legacy of continuing to address said concerns. ALOS-2
will enhance the capabilities of the previously flown SAR payload on
ALOS and provide an increased resolution, faster revisit times, and
observation at high incidence angles so that it can be used for disaster
monitoring, environmental monitoring, natural resources monitoring
and technology development.

1.1.2 Orbit

Expected to be used for land and resource studies, disaster

monitoring and environmental research a Low Earth Orbit with a
nearly polar orbit is appropriate for DAICHI – 2. Earth observation
satellites such as this, in particular, prefer orbits with constant altitude
when passing over the same spot and at the same time provides
constant sunlight, which allows the solar panels to work continually.
This consistent lighting is a useful characteristic for satellites that image
the Earth's surface in visible or infrared wavelengths which is needed
by DAICHI 2. As compared to its predecessor DAICHI – 1, such orbit
parameter reduced its revisit time from 46 days to 14 days, so that the
satellite can go back to the target location sooner. The altitude of about
628 km above the equator with about 98 degree inclination is the cause
of improvement in order to provide high responsiveness for
monitoring disasters.

1.1.3 Payload

Primary Mission Payload: PALSAR-2

The mission payload of the ALOS-2 spacecraft will be PALSAR-2
– the Phased Array L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar-2 that uses Active
Phased Array Antenna technology. Radar satellites bounce radar
signals off the ground and record the weak echo signal to deduce radar
Mission Design and Analysis for New ALOS-2

reflectiveness of sites on the ground which differs between the various

types of vegetation, water bodies and man-made structures. The
PALSAR-2 instrument will support observations in stripmap mode as
well as spotlight and ScanSAR modes to achieve a ground resolution
of one to three meters. Beam steering in range and azimuth and side-
looking observations and a coverage of wide incidence angles of 8 to
70° allows the instrument to cover a wide area on the ground of up to
2,320 Kilometers to support high revisit times. Moreover, the SAR
antenna will provide the transmit signal and process the received
signal. When operating at full power, the SAR will require 5,100 Watts
of power.

Compact Infrared Camera (CIRC)

The Compact Infrared Camera CIRC will be a small payload
using COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) components to build a compact
infrared imager for deployment on several spacecraft to create an
operational wildfire detection capability. CIRC will be first deployed
on ALOS-2. CIRC will weigh just under 3 Kilograms and will be 18 by
11 by 23 centimeters in size. Because of its compact size, low power
consumption and low data rates, the instrument is ideal for
deployment as secondary payload on a number of spacecraft. At an
altitude of 600 Kilometers, the instrument will achieve a spatial
resolution of 200 meters which will be sufficient for the detection and
monitoring of wildfires, the observation of volcanoes and the
assessment of ‘hot spots’ created by cities or human activity.

Space based Automatic Identification System Experiment 2

ALOS-2 will also carry the SPAISE2 payload, the Space based
Automatic Identification System Experiment 2 which will be a technical
demonstration payload featuring a four-channel signal reception
capability. The Automatic Identification System is used by sea vessels
that send and receive VHF messages containing identification,
position, course and speed information to allow the monitoring of
vessel movements and collision avoidance as well as alerting in the
event of sudden speed changes. These signals can be transmitted from
ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore to allow the monitoring of a local area,
but deploying space-based AIS terminals allows a broad coverage and
data relay to ground stations for monitoring of large sea areas.

Pointing Error and Agility

Pointing error both absolute and relative, are important since it
allows the given payload to perform the mission with utmost accuracy.
An Absolute Pointing Error (APE) of the payload, during data
acquisition, shall be 0.01 mrad, for the yaw, roll and pitch angles and
the Relative Pointing Error (RPE) of the payload shall be less than 0.03
mrad degrees for the yaw, roll and pitch angles are small enough as
errors but the payload can still perform its task at the same time.

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Mission Design and Analysis for New ALOS-2

ALOS-2 will also be agile for the purpose of minimizing

observation intervals which is the requirement for attitude
maneuvering. Therefore, New ALOS-2 shall have an agility which able
to do an Earth pointing attitude to observation in less than 2 minutes
and change observation direction (right/left) in less than 3 minutes.

1.1.4 Spacecraft Configuration

Given the maximum weight of 2,120 kilograms (including the

propellant), size 3.5 by 3.2 by 4.5 meters in launch configuration and
9.9 by 16.5 by 3.7 meters in size when fully deployed on orbit and total
output power of 5.2 kW at EOL, there will be enough power and space
for the important parts such as the payload to be accommodated in the
spacecraft. Moreover, attitude control accuracy and body pointing
capability with minimal recurrent error loss will be achieved.

1.1.5 Launch Segment Requirements

The launch vehicle to be used is H-IIA 202 launch vehicle from

Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) using 4S type firing with launch
mass margin of 8% and launch site at Tanegashima, Japan.

1.2 Coverage
1.2.1 Orbit
(See Section 1.1.2)

1.2.2 Swath Width

Depending on the payload’s operational mode, the swath width

will be 25 km for Spotlight mode, 50 km / 50 km / 70 km for Stripmap
(ultra-fine/high-sensitive/fine) mode and 350 km / 490 km for
ScanSAR mode.

1.2.3 Number of Satellites

To perform said mission, one main satellite will be used while

another data relay satellite will be utilized to facilitate data handling
and transmission.

1.2.4 Operational Scheduling

Used for disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, natural

resources monitoring and technology development various operations
will be scheduled in a manner that needed data and information can be
obtained. ALOS-2 will perform full global coverage twice a year for
10m fine mode in 2 areas, once in 5 years for 6m high sensitive mode in

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Mission Design and Analysis for New ALOS-2

5 areas, and once in 3 years for 3m ultra-fine mode in 3 areas. Moreover,

ALOS-2 will also do basic observation scenario to perform full global
coverage in temporal repeat for VHR baseline mapping, quad-
polarimetric baseline, forest monitoring, wetlands and rapid
deforestation monitoring, crustal deformation and polar ice.

1.3 Responsiveness
1.3.1 Communications Architecture

The ALOS-2 mission principle will require a rapid data

availability after acquisition and the spacecraft will employ a two-fold
communications architecture with an X-Band system for payload data
downlink to the ground and a Ka-Band terminal for data transfer to a
data relay satellite in Geostationary Orbit. ALOS-2 will also a Mission
Data Handling System that processes and stores data acquired by the
payloads as well as systems telemetry in a large memory ahead of data
downlink.
To meet the high data downlink volume requirement, ALOS-2
will employ an innovative XMOD System, Multi-mode High Speed
Modulator that is capable of achieving a maximum data rate of
800Mbit/s using Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (16QAM) and
Quadrature Phase Shift Keying to remain compatible with existing
ground stations. The system will consist of a baseband module
featuring the necessary Serializers & De-serializers, Digital to Analog
Converters, a Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator and
SRAM-based FPGA.

1.3.2 Processing Delays

As compared to ALOS-1, the distribution delay of precision orbit

data is improved, and rapid data is added to better service the data
users. From a maximum 81-hr delay from ALOS, ALOS 2 shall improve
to a maximum of 50 hours for precision data while rapid data will be
at maximum of 12 hours delay.

1.3.3 Operations

As compared to ALOS-1, ALOS-2 will have an improved data

handling function, autonomous orbit maintenance and improved
observation performance through accurate earth surface observations
while maintaining a wide observation band. Improved data handling
will mean better acquisition, transmission and storage of data while the
autonomous orbit maintenance will be able coordinate maneuvers
autonomously without the need of maneuver command design on the
ground. To do this, mission planners will allocate several maneuver

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Mission Design and Analysis for New ALOS-2

slots per day in accordance with planned SAR observations to prevent

orbit maintenance from impacting satellite operations. Consequently,
the use of an improved payload will also provide improvement on
observation performance.

1.3.4 Data Delivery Times for Users after Observation

As the global service from available ALOS-2 data can be in terms

of Global Map, Basin Map, Rainforest Map Regional Service Disaster
Monitoring, Regional Area Observation are proprietary, resource
allocation priority will depend on application (Research/Science,
General, etc) and so as the pricing policy which will be made marginal
for all users. With this, data delivery times will be categorized as
Urgent service, Near real-time service and Normal service. Data
delivery times will be as follows: (a) Urgent Service: Institutional and
NASDA internal users. Data will be ready for distribution within 3
hours after data reception and image catalog will be open to public
within 1 hour, (b) Near Real-Time Service: Institutional user. Data
delivery will be within 3 hours after observation via online, and (c)
Normal Service: Institutional, NASDA Internal and General User. Data
will be delivered either standing request, on-demand file request and
on-demand www request

2 OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Availability

As availability pose the given applications of ALOS-2, its mission

life is targeted at 5 years with a target operational lifetime of 7 years.
The payload will operate 24-hour basis for all weather land observation
while ALOS_2 will provide a data turnaround of less than 60 minutes in
the event of disasters.

2.2 Survivability

Data provided by ALOS-2 will be used for a variety of scientific

and other purposes. Due to this it will be ensured that ALos-2 including
its payload and other subsystems will maintain a survival condition
which will avoid defect, trouble or degradation of function or
performance from which the sensor could not recover in an anomalous
case of ALOS attitude or power supply.

2.3 Data Distribution

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Mission Design and Analysis for New ALOS-2

This requirement calls for a payload data transmission rate of 800

Mbit/s in X-band. With a traditional modulation scheme of QPSK, the
transmission speed peaks at about 400 Mbit/s since the frequency
bandwidth allocation is limited to 375 MHz by the ITU (International
Telecommunication Union) regulations. To solve this problem, the
project designed and developed XMOD (Multi-mode High Speed
Modulator), capable of achieving a (max) data rate of 800 Mbit/s. The
XMOD device has the following features, not only to achieve the 800
Mbit/s data rate, but also to target strong international competitiveness
as well as high system reliability. The following measures will also be
done to facilitate proper data distribution: (a) use of a 16QAM 16
(Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) scheme to enable the 800 Mbit/s
data rate, regarded as the world's highest RF data rate, implemented as
a single X-band carrier, (b) adoption of the QPSK (Quadrature Phase
Shift Keying) technique to comply with existing ground stations and
improve robustness, (c) implementation of a "Multi-mode/Multi-rate"
design capable of supporting various satellite projects, (d) introduction
of some cutting-edge techniques for space and a high reliability design
to improve the tolerance to space radiation effects, and (e) reduction of
XMOD in size and mass by boosting double-sided mounting techniques
and applying small lightweight parts.
New ALOS-2 communications architecture up to the end users
shall include the following data handling and down link architecture:
(a) High-rate and high capacity storage system, (b) Mission data
handling system (MDHS), (c) Direct transmission system (DT), and (d)
Dual-receive channel (DRC). Moreover, a data relay satellite utilizing
the Ka-Band will also be used to communicate with the ground station.

2.4 Data Content, Form, and Format

ALOS-2 science capabilities include global environmental

monitoring using the time-series PALSAR-2. The research target also
covers biospheric, cryospheric, and coastal ocean research as well as
disaster mitigation. Such data and information will be provided in
standard CEOS and/or GeoTIFF format consisting of several different
files. The strategy will be implemented as a top-level foreground
mission and with a priority level second only to that of emergency
observations. With emphasis on acquiring repetitive and consistent data
over continental scales, it ensures that adequate data will be collected to
allow the required thematic output products to be developed on a timely
basis.

2.5 Reliability of Bus System

To make sure that the bus system is reliable and functions as

designed, nominal operation performance will be performed, strict orbit
maintenance scheme to ensure a high coherence of interferometry

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measurements will be done and the payload will be checked every 3

months in terms of the thermal condition of components, phase-shifter
performance, and onboard RF characteristics.

3 CONSTRAINTS

3.1 Cost

As stated, $100M budget is allocated for its activities including

but not limited to the R&D, the flight system design, development,
manufacturing and tests, launch and initial checkout.

3.2 Schedule
3.2.1 Technical Readiness and Program Size

Based on the project timeline, ALOS-2 will underg six months of

testing before being declared operational and will have an initial
operating capability within 3 years after the project start.

3.3 Regulations

ALOS-2 will follow the regulations as stipulated by the policy,

laws and regulations specified by Japan’s space policy and legal
frameworks and international space laws.

3.4 Political

The ALOS-2 will be organized by JAXA as approved by the

Japanese government.