News

14.09.2016 13:08 Age: 8 yrs

[Jason-2] : Decision to move the satellite to the interleaved orbit

Category: News of the Jason-2 mission

After more than 8 years on its nominal orbit, Jason-2 will move on the interleaved orbit that was used by Topex and Jason-1.

Dear Aviso+ users,
After approval by the Joint Steering Group held yesterday (12 Sept 2016), the OSTM/Jason-2 satellite will be moved to a new ground track early October after the end of repeat cycle 303, after more than 8 years of service on the nominal ground track. The Jason-3 satellite will continue the long term climate data record on the primary Topex, Jason-1, and OSTM/Jason-2 ground track.
The OSTM/Jason-2 satellite will be moved to the same interleaved orbit that was used by Topex from 2002-2005 and Jason-1 from 2009-2012. Several maneuvers will be performed beginning on October 2nd , 2016, with the interleaved orbit achieved by October 14, 2016.
Please note the following regarding the new OSTM/Jason-2 orbit.
  1. OSTM/Jason-2 will use the same pass numbering scheme adopted by Topex and Jason-1 in the interleaved ground track. However, the start time of the OSTM/Jason-2 and Jason-3 repeat cycles will differ by approximately 5 days.
  2. The first OSTM/Jason-2 repeat cycle on the new interleaved ground track will be numbered repeat cycle 305.
  3. The OSTM/Jason-2 altimeter will be placed in wait mode during the transition to the new ground track. This may have some impact on the calibration of the AMRadiometer, due to changes in the spacecraft thermal environment. Re-calibration of AMR will be performed if necessary.
  4. Data production (OGDR, IGDR and GDR) will be stopped during the transit to the interleaved orbit. It will restart during cycle 305 with the same requirements for data latency and quality. 
<media 16243 _blank - "IMAGE, 201609 Jason2 interleaved orbit, 201609_Jason2_interleaved_orbit.png, 1.0 MB"></media>

Jason-2 on its interleaved orbit after October 2016 (yellow) that was the same for Topex/Poseidon (after Sept.2002) and Jason-1 (after Feb.2009). The red ground tracks correspond to the Jason-2 nominal orbit (from 2008-Oct.2016) that is used by Jason-3 today. <link internal-link>Download Google Earth files with Jason-3, Jason-2, Jason-1 and Topex/Poseidon ground tracks on nominal or interleaved orbits.

 
This is the initial plan as approved by the Joint Steering group. Next messages will confirm the start of activities and also when the satellite will be back to nominal operations.
T. Guinle
on behalf the OSTM/Jason-2 project managers from CNES, JPL, NOAA and EUMETSAT
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