Aqua carries six state-of-the-art instruments in a near-polar low-Earth orbit. The six instruments are the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU-A), the Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB), the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES). Each has unique characteristics and capabilities, and all six serve together to form a powerful package for Earth observations.
Orbit Characteristics
Sun synchronous, near-polar orbit
| Equatorial
Crossing |
|
1:30 p.m., acsending node |
| Inclination |
|
98° |
| Altitude |
|
705 km |
| Period |
|
99 minutes |
| Semi-major axis |
|
7085 km |
| Eccentricity |
|
0.0015 |
Launch Statistics
| Vehicle |
|
Two-stage Delta II 7920-10L with 9 strap-on solid rocket motors and 10 foot, bisector, composite fairing |
| Site |
|
SLC-2W, Western Range, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California |
| Launch Date |
|
May 4, 2002 @ 2:55 a.m. PDT |
| Window |
|
1335 LMST to 1345 LMST (any day of the year) |
Vital Statistics
| Weight |
|
(at launch) 2,934 kg (6,468 pounds) |
| Power |
|
4,860 watts end of life |
| Size (stowed) |
|
2.7 m (8.8 ft) x 2.5 m (8.2 ft) x 6.5 m (21.3 ft) |
| Size (deployed) |
|
4.8 m (15.8 ft) x 16.7 m (54.8 ft) x 8 m (26.4 ft) |
| Mission Life |
|
6 years |
|
|
|
