Polder 1 and 2
An original concept to understand the Earth-atmosphere system
What role do aerosols play in shaping climate? How do we classify clouds? What is the influence of the ocean and continental biosphere on the carbon cycle?
Many questions remain concerning climatic mechanisms, which are determined by a complex interplay between the atmosphere, the oceans, the cryosphere—including snow and glaciers—and the biosphere. The Polder instrument, designed to study the Earth's environment, enables researchers to analyse the polarization and directional effects of solar radiation reflected by Earth and its atmosphere. From these data, scientists can deduce the properties of surfaces, aerosols and clouds. This information is essential to improving mathematical models for climate simulations.
Polder 1, the result of the first ever French-Japanese cooperative Earth observation programme, was launched on 17 August 1996 on the Japanese satellite Adeos-I. It transmitted data until 30 June 1997, when the satellite was lost due to a solar array failure.
Launched on Adeos-II on 14 December 2002, Polder 2 continued the work of its predecessor until 25 October 2003, when an electrical failure ended the mission prematurely.
Many questions remain concerning climatic mechanisms, which are determined by a complex interplay between the atmosphere, the oceans, the cryosphere—including snow and glaciers—and the biosphere. The Polder instrument, designed to study the Earth's environment, enables researchers to analyse the polarization and directional effects of solar radiation reflected by Earth and its atmosphere. From these data, scientists can deduce the properties of surfaces, aerosols and clouds. This information is essential to improving mathematical models for climate simulations.
Polder 1, the result of the first ever French-Japanese cooperative Earth observation programme, was launched on 17 August 1996 on the Japanese satellite Adeos-I. It transmitted data until 30 June 1997, when the satellite was lost due to a solar array failure.
Launched on Adeos-II on 14 December 2002, Polder 2 continued the work of its predecessor until 25 October 2003, when an electrical failure ended the mission prematurely.
| Instruments Polder 1 and 2 (POLarization and Directionaly of Earth Reflectance) |
|
| Initiator | CNES |
| Participants | France and Japan |
| Statut | Mission over, data processing |
| Objective | To gain greater knowledge of the Earth's atmosphere, as well as the continental and oceanic biosphere |
| Missions | Polder 1: on the Adeos satellite, launched August 17, 1996. Satellite lost June 30, 1997. Polder 2: on the Adeos II satellite, launched December 14, 2002. Satellite lost October 25, 2003. |
| Launchers | H-II and H-IIA (Japan) |
Last updated: August 2008
