WMO OSCAR | Satellite: Aqua

Satellite: Aqua

Satellite details

Acronym	Aqua
Full name	Earth Observation System - Aqua
WIGOS Station Identifier	---
Satellite Description	2nd flight unit of the EOS programme. Main mission: demonstration of advanced sensors for operational meteorology. Substantial contribution to land and ocean observation, aerosol, atmospheric radiation.
Mass at launch	2934 kg	Dry mass	2832 kg
Power	4860 W
Data access link	https://directreadout.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/?id=dspContent&cid=14
Data access information	All data available in real-time through X-band Direct Broadcast. More info at NASA Direct Readout Laboratory. All data available off-line from EOSDIS.
Orbit	Sunsynchronous orbit	Altitude	705 km
ECT	13:30 asc

Space agency	NASA
Status	Operational
Details on Status (as available)
Launch	04 May 2002	EOL	≥2026
Last update:	2023-12-18

Associated satellite programme and related satellites

Note: red tag: no longer operational , green tag: operational , blue tag : future

Earth Observation System
- Aqua (2002 - 2026)
- Aura (2004 - 2025)
- Terra (1999 - 2026)

Satellite Payload

All known Instruments flying on Aqua

Acronym	Full name
AIRS	Atmospheric Infra-Red Sounder
AMSR-E	Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS
AMSU-A	Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit - A
CERES	Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System
HSB	Humidity Sounder for Brazil
MODIS	Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer

Satellite payload

All known instruments flying on Aqua

Instrument	Full name	Start date	EOL date	Status	NRT data	Comments
AIRS	Atmospheric Infra-Red Sounder	01 Aug 2002	≥2026 *	Active	Yes	A few noisy channels
AMSR-E	Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS	01 Aug 2002	03 Mar 2016	Inactive	No	Antenna stopped rotating on 4 October 2011. Used with reduced rotation rate for cross-calibration with AMSR-2 until 3 March 2016.
AMSU-A	Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit - A	01 Aug 2002	≥2026 *	Degraded Has been degraded	Yes	Failures: ch.7, 54.9 GHz (May 2002), ch.4, 52.8 GHz (November 2007), ch.5, 53.6 GHz (April 2012), ch.s 1&2, 23.8 & 31.4 GHz (Sep 2016).
CERES	Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System	01 Aug 2002	≥2026 *	Degraded Has been degraded	Yes	SW channel failed in March 2005.
HSB	Humidity Sounder for Brazil	01 Aug 2002	05 Feb 2003	Inactive	No	HSB instrument ceased operation on 5 February 2003.
MODIS	Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer	01 Aug 2002	≥2026 *	Active	Yes

* The information in this field is estimated or assumed

Satellite frequencies for Earth Observation, data transfer and platform communications and control

Earth observation MW frequencies

Service	Sensing mode	Frequency (GHz)	Bandwidth (MHz)	Polarisation	Comments
AMSU-A	passive	23.8 GHz	270 MHz	V	Water vapour channel
AMSU-A	passive	31.4 GHz	180 MHz	V	Window channel
AMSU-A	passive	50 GHz - 57.62 GHz	0 MHz	H or V	Oxygen band, 12 channels
AMSU-A	passive	89 GHz	6000 MHz	V	Window channel
HSB	passive	150 GHz	1000 MHz	V	Weak water vapour channel
HSB	passive	175 GHz - 191.31 GHz	0 MHz	V	Water vapour band, 3 channels
AMSR-E	passive	6.925 GHz	350 MHz	H&V	Window channel
AMSR-E	passive	10.65 GHz	100 MHz	H&V	Window channel
AMSR-E	passive	18.7 GHz	200 MHz	H&V	Window channel
AMSR-E	passive	23.8 GHz	400 MHz	H&V	Water vapour channel
AMSR-E	passive	36.5 GHz	1000 MHz	H&V	Window channel
AMSR-E	passive	89 GHz	3000 MHz	H&V	Window channel