Jason 1: The 21st Century Argonaut

TERRADAILY

Once it reaches its final orbit, Jason 1 will assume the flight path of Topex/Poseidon, which will move into a parallel orbit. They will circle Earth every 112 minutes at an altitude of about 1,330 kilometers (830 miles), measuring the surface topography of the oceans to within 4 centimeters. Shown here is an image from Topex data showing surface height differencs off the US East Coast

Pasadena July 31, 2001
The Jason 1 satellite, a joint project of NASA and CNES, the French space agency, arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., today to begin final preparations for launch no earlier than Sept. 15.

Jason 1 is the follow-on to Topex/Poseidon, a U.S.-French spacecraft that has been making precise measurements of ocean surface topography since 1992. These data are used to map ocean currents, improve the understanding of ocean circulation, measure global sea level change and improve global climate forecasts.

The French-built Jason 1 spacecraft was flown from Nice, France, to Vandenberg on an Antonov-124 cargo plane and then transported to a clean room at Spaceport Systems International, located on the base. After French and U.S. project members complete their final adjustments and tests, the spacecraft will be fueled and turned over to the Boeing Company on Aug. 22 in preparation for launch.

Jason 1 will be launched from Space Launch Complex 2 West at Vandenberg Air Force Base atop a Delta II rocket. The rocket has a dual payload system that allows the launch vehicle to carry two satellites at once.

Jason 1 will share part of the ride with another spacecraft called Timed, a joint atmospheric mission of NASA and the Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md. Jason 1 will be carried at the top of the rocket's nose cone and will separate first.

The launch window is about 20 minutes each day. On Sept.15, the window opens at 12:59 a.m PDT. The launch window gets earlier by about 12 minutes each day. A 10-day launch period is scheduled.

TERRADAILY

Pacific Remains Locked In Three-Year-Old Pattern: No El Nino Yet, But One Due Soon

Pasadena - June 21, 2001
While change may be on the way, the Pacific is still dominated by the strong, larger-than-El Nino/La Nina pattern called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), according to the latest data from the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite mission.

Ten Years On Planet Watch

Paris - July 23, 2001
When ERS-1 was lofted into orbit by an Ariane-4 launcher on 17 July 1991, it carried the hopes of Europe's scientific community. For nerve-wracking minutes, those hopes looked as though they might be dashed when contact was lost with the craft as it rose into space. Hundreds of scientists and engineers breathed a collective sigh of relief when an Australian tracking station re-established communication.

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