Science
GCOM-C (SHIKISAI)
Japanese Climate & Ocean Observation Satellite · JAXA
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GCOM-C (Shikisai), a major Japanese Earth observation satellite launched in 2017 to monitor clouds, aerosols, vegetation, ocean color, and ice simultaneously — 'Shikisai' means 'colors of the four seasons' in Japanese, reflecting the satellite's mission of tracking how Earth's surface and atmosphere change through the year. Its data feeds directly into climate models tracking how aerosol pollution and cloud behavior interact to either warm or cool the planet — one of the largest remaining uncertainties in climate science.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 500–501 mi (804–806 km)
- Inclination
- 98.6°
- One orbit
- 100.8 minutes14.3 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 43065
- Int’l designator
- 2017-082A
- Launched
- 2017
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
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