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About OceanSat-2

OceanSat-2 was an oceanography satellite owned by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which launched on 23 September 2009 and ceased operations in December 2022.

Mission Parameters
Orbit Height720 km
Orbit TypePolar Sun-synchronous
Orbit Period99.31 minutes
Revisit Time2 days
Inclination98.28°
Equator Crossing Time12:00

OceanSat-2 Objectives

The main objectives of OceanSat-2 were to study surface winds and ocean surface strata, observation of chlorophyll concentrations, monitoring of phytoplankton blooms, study of atmospheric aerosols and suspended sediments in the water.

OceanSat-2 played an important role in forecasting the onset of the monsoon and its subsequent advancement over the Indian subcontinent and over South-East Asia.

OceanSat-2 Instruments

OCM-2 (Ocean Colour Monitor-2)

OCM-2 was an improved version of the one flown on OceanSat-1. OCM-2 was a solid-state radiometer providing observations in eight spectral bands in the VNIR region. It was an 8-band multi-spectral camera operating in the Visible – Near infrared spectral range. This camera provided an instantaneous geometric field of view of 360 m and a swath of 1420 km. OCM could be tilted up to + 20 degrees along track.

OCM Instrument Specifications
ParameterValue
Spectral Range (8 bands)0.4 - 0.9 µm (VNIR)
Scan Plane Tilt±20º,to avoid sun glitter
Camera MTF>20% at Nyquist frequency
IFOV at nadir (spatial resolution)LAC: 360 m x 236 m
GAC: 1 km
FOV (swath)1420 km (±43º)
Tilt Capability±20º along track
Data Quantization12 bit
Data Rate (real-time)20.8 Mbit/s
Instrument Mass78 kg
SNR> 512 (saturation)
Effective Focal Length20 mm
Absolute Radiometric Accuracy<10%
Onboard Calibration2 LEDs per band
Instrument Power134 W

 

Table of Bands
Spectral BandWavelength Range (nm)Application
B1404-424 Yellow substance absorption
B2431-451 Chlorophyll absorption
B3476-496 Chlorophyll and other pigments
B4500-520 Turbidity and suspended sediments
B5546-566 Chlorophyll reference
B6610-630 Total suspended matter estimation
B7725-755 Atmospheric correction
B8845-885 Atmospheric correction/aerosol optical thickness


Non-scientific Measuring Instruments

Scanning Scatterometer (SCAT): an active microwave device used to determine ocean surface level wind vectors through estimation of radar backscatter.

Radio Occultation Sounder for Atmospheric Studies (ROSA): a GPS occultation receiver provided by ASI (the Italian Space Agency) with an objective to characterise the lower atmosphere and the ionosphere.

OceanSat-2 Data

DATA COLLECTIONS

ESA offers to registered user the access through the Online Dissemination server to the following data collections:

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