Regional Observation by Super Low Altitude Test Satellite “TSUBAME”(SLATS)

SLATS is the first test satellite of JAXA to demonstrate operations at “super low orbit”below 400 km altitude, almost never used for long-life remote sensing. Lower altitudes will bring benefits for Earth observation such as higher resolution optical imaging and higher Signal/Noise ratio of Synthetic Aperture Radar. Small and High Resolution Optical Sensor (SHIROP) is a panchromatic camera to achieve under 1 meter resolution from super low altitudes. Pointing accuracy and image quality, which are influenced by atmospheric drag, ion engine and Time Delay Integration (TDI), are going to be evaluated. Techniques acquired by SLATS are planned to be used for future regional observation.