Science
GCOM-W1 Shizuku
Catalogued as GCOM-W1 (SHIZUKU)
Global Water Cycle Monitor · JAXA
Right now
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Shizuku — Japanese for 'water droplet' — maps Earth's entire water cycle from orbit. Its microwave radiometer measures soil moisture, sea surface temperatures, snow cover, ocean wind speed, and atmospheric water vapor simultaneously. This data feeds weather models, flood prediction systems, and climate research. Japan designed Shizuku to partner with NASA's Aqua satellite, and the two spacecraft coordinate their observations to provide the most complete picture of Earth's water ever assembled.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 438–440 mi (706–708 km)
- Inclination
- 98.2°
- One orbit
- 98.8 minutes14.6 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 38337
- Int’l designator
- 2012-025A
- Launched
- 2012
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
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