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ALOS-2 (Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2) (39766)
COSPAR: 2014-029A | Alt Name: Daichi-2
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
May 24, 2014
Launch Site
TNSC (Tanegashima Space Center), Japan
Launch Pad
Yoshinobu Launch Complex
Launch Vehicle
H-IIA F24 (202 configuration)
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
39766
International Designator
2014-029A
Epoch
Fri, 03 Jul 2026 18:38:40 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
97.92°
Right Ascension
281.70°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
89.00°
Period
97.33 min
Mean Motion
14.79 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Polar Plot
3D Visualization
Basic Satellite Info
Name
ALOS-2 (Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2)
Alternative Name
Daichi-2
Type
Payload
Status
Operational
Owner
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)
Country
Japan
Constellation
ALOS/Daichi series (operating in constellation with ALOS-4 since July 2024)
Related Satellites
Major Events
2014-05-24: Launch on H-IIA F24 from Tanegashima with secondary payloads (Rising-2, UNIFORM-1, SOCRATES, SPROUT). 2014-07-04 to 2014-07-14: CIRC initial functional verification phase. 2014-08: Autonomous orbit control system activated (world's first for regular EO operations). 2014-08-04: PALSAR-2 regular observations begin. 2019-05: Exceeded 5-year design lifetime, entered extended mission. 2023-03-07: Sister mission ALOS-3 lost in H3 TF1 launch failure. 2024-07-01: ALOS-4 (Daichi-4) launched, begins constellation operations with ALOS-2. 2025-03: JAXA developed SAR foundation model using ALOS-2 observation data. 2025-12-07: ALOS-2 observation data still being accumulated per JAXA records. 2026-03-05: ALOS-2 tasking order deadline updated by PASCO, confirming continued operations.
Latest TLEs
1 39766U 14029A 26184.77685350 .00001480 00000-0 20504-3 0 9996
2 39766 97.9231 281.7034 0001643 89.0013 271.1387 14.79475407654039
Source: Celestrak
Summary
ALOS-2 (Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2), also known as Daichi-2, is a Japanese L-band SAR Earth observation satellite operated by JAXA and manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.
Launched on May 24, 2014, from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at Tanegashima Space Center aboard an H-IIA F24 rocket, it operates in a 628 km sun-synchronous orbit with a 97.9° inclination and 14-day repeat cycle. The spacecraft measures 9.9 m in length, 3.7 m in diameter, and 16.5 m span with deployed solar arrays, with a launch mass of 2,120 kg and dry mass of 2,000 kg.
Its primary instrument, PALSAR-2, is an advanced L-band (1257.5 MHz) synthetic aperture radar with active phased array antenna technology providing spotlight (1x3 m), stripmap (3-10 m), and ScanSAR (60-100 m) observation modes across a maximum observable swath of 2,320 km with both left and right looking capability.
ALOS-2 also carries CIRC, an uncooled thermal infrared camera for wildfire and volcanic activity detection, and SPAISE2, a satellite-based AIS receiver for maritime vessel tracking developed with NEC Corporation.
The satellite features autonomous precision orbit control within a 500 m tube-shaped corridor — a world first for regular Earth observation operations — enabling high-coherence repeat-pass InSAR. Mission data is downlinked via X-band (up to 800 Mbit/s) to ground stations and Ka-band (278 Mbit/s) through the DRTS data relay satellite, with S-band used for TT&C.
ALOS-2 has far exceeded its 5-year design life (7-year target), remaining operational past 11 years on orbit. Since July 2024, it operates in constellation with its successor ALOS-4 (Daichi-4, carrying PALSAR-3), providing combined L-band SAR coverage for disaster monitoring, land deformation detection, cartography, agricultural monitoring, and global forest carbon sink assessment.
The ALOS L-band SAR heritage traces back through ALOS (2006-2011) to JERS-1/FUYO-1 (1992-1998), representing over three decades of Japanese L-band radar Earth observation.
Physical Characteristics
Length
9.9
Diameter
3.7
Span
16.5
Dry Mass
2000
Launch Mass
2120
Shape
Box + 2 deployable solar array panels
Radar Cross Section
4.096
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Technical Details
Payload
PALSAR-2 (Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar-2). CIRC (Compact InfraRed Camera). SPAISE2 (Space-based AIS Experiment 2).
Purpose
Disaster monitoring and rapid damage assessment. Land deformation and crustal movement detection via InSAR. National land and infrastructure mapping. Cultivated area monitoring. Global tropical rainforest monitoring for carbon sink identification. Naval vessel tracking via AIS. Wildfire detection via CIRC thermal imager. Volcanic activity monitoring. Urban heat island analysis.
Mission
Earth Observation, SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar), Disaster Monitoring, Cartography, Environmental Monitoring, Forest Monitoring, Ship Tracking (AIS), Thermal Infrared Imaging
Manufacturer
MELCO (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
Life Expectancy
5 years design life (7 years target). Still operational as of March 2026, exceeding 11 years on orbit. CEOS EOL listed as December 2025 but tasking orders still accepted as of March 2026.
Bus
ALOS (shared bus design with ALOS-3)
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
AOCS with four redundant 4N hydrazine thrusters for orbit maintenance. Autonomous orbit control within 500m tube-shaped corridor.
Equipment
PALSAR-2: L-band SAR at 1257.5 MHz (±21 MHz), active phased array antenna (APAA). - Spotlight mode: 1x3m resolution, 25km swath. - Stripmap mode: 3-10m resolution, 50-70km swath. - ScanSAR mode: 60-100m resolution, 350-490km swath. - Incidence angle 8°-70°, left/right looking capability. CIRC: Uncooled microbolometer thermal infrared camera. - ~3 kg mass, <20W power, 200m ground resolution. - Wildfire, volcano, and heat island detection. - Mounted at 30° off-nadir. SPAISE2: Satellite AIS receiver developed with NEC Corporation. Dual-frequency GPS receivers (L1/L2 bands).
Power System
2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
ADCS
3-axis stabilized. Star trackers, GPS receivers, reaction wheels. Autonomous orbit control maintaining 500m tube-shaped corridor for InSAR coherence. Yaw-around maneuver capability for left/right looking. Attitude maneuver to observation in <2 minutes. Observation direction change (right/left) in <3 minutes.
Transmitter Frequency
S-band: TT&C uplink/downlink. X-band: Mission data downlink at 800/400/200 Mbit/s (16QAM/QPSK). Ka-band: Mission data relay at 278 Mbit/s via DRTS/Kodama data relay satellite. PALSAR-2 SAR: L-band 1257.5 MHz (±21 MHz).
Map
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