TanSat
NamesCarbonSat
Mission typeEarth observation
OperatorMOST
COSPAR ID2016-081A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.41898
Mission durationPlanned: 3 years[1]
Elapsed: 7 years, 2 months, 22 days
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerSIMIT[1]
Launch mass620 kg (1,370 lb)[1]
Dry mass610 kg (1,340 lb)[1]
Dimensions150 × 180 × 185 cm (59 × 71 × 73 in)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date21 December 2016, 19:22 (2016-12-21UTC19:22) UTC[2]
RocketLong March 2D[3]
Launch siteJiuquan LC43/603[3]
ContractorCASC
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Semi-major axis7,083 km (4,401 mi)
Eccentricity0.002272
Perigee altitude688.9 km (428.1 mi)
Apogee altitude721.1 km (448.1 mi)
Inclination98.16°
Period98.89 minutes
Epoch12 February 2017, 19:47:39 UTC[4]
 

TanSat, also known as CarbonSat, is a Chinese Earth observation satellite dedicated to monitoring carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere. It is generally classified as a minisatellite, and is the first dedicated carbon mission of the Chinese space program.[1] The mission was formally proposed in 2010, and work began in January 2011.[3] It is funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and was built by the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem And Information Technology (SIMIT).[3]

TanSat carries two instruments: the Carbon Dioxide Spectrometer and the Cloud and Aerosol Polarimetry Imager. The Carbon Dioxide Spectrometer (CDS), also called CarbonSpec, is a high-resolution grating spectrometer which measures CO2 absorption at 1.61 μm and 2.06 μm, and O2 absorption in reflected sunlight at 0.76 μm. The Cloud and Aerosol Polarimetry Imager (CAPI) is a wide-field, moderate-resolution, imaging spectrometer which works in concert with CDS by compensating for measurement errors caused by clouds and aerosols. It makes observations in ultraviolet (0.38 μm), visible (0.67 μm), and near infrared (0.87 μm, 1.375 μm, and 1.64 μm).[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "TanSat". eoPortal. European Space Agency. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  2. ^ "China launches satellite to monitor global carbon emissions". Xinhua. 22 December 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d Barbosa, Rui C. (21 December 2016). "Long March 2D launches TanSat carbon dioxide monitoring spacecraft". NASA Spaceflight. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Object A - Orbit". Heavens Above. 12 February 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  5. ^ Nowakowski, Tomasz (21 December 2016). "Long March 2D launches China's TanSat carbon-monitoring satellite". Spaceflight Insider. Retrieved 12 February 2017.


Categories