# ALOS-2
*missions*

## Specifications
- **operator**: jaxa
- **actual launch**: "2014-05-24T00:00:00.000Z"
- **current status**: extended
- **orbit type**: Sun-synchronous sub-recurrent, 628 km, 97.9 degree inclination, 14-day repeat, 12:00 LTDN
- **swath km**: 350
- **revisit days**: 14
- **tasking supported**: 1
- **archive depth years**: 12
- **last verified date**: 2026-05-24
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-verified

## Editorial
ALOS-2 (Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2, "Daichi-2") is an L-band synthetic aperture radar mission operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) [^jaxa-eorc-overview]. Built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation under JAXA contract, the satellite was launched on 24 May 2014 aboard an H-IIA launch vehicle [^jaxa-eorc-overview]. The spacecraft has a mass of approximately 2,100 kg and operates in a sun-synchronous sub-recurrent orbit at 628 km altitude with a 97.9-degree inclination, a 14-day repeat cycle, and a descending node local time of 12:00 [^jaxa-eorc-overview].

ALOS-2 carries a single primary instrument, the Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar-2 (PALSAR-2), operating at a centre frequency of 1,257.5 MHz (wavelength approximately 23.84 cm) [^jaxa-eorc-palsar2]. PALSAR-2 supports six resolution modes from 1-metre Spotlight through 490-kilometre-swath ScanSAR, and is capable of full polarimetric (quad-pol), dual-pol, and single-pol acquisitions [^jaxa-eorc-palsar2]. The combination of L-band wavelength and wide-swath operation makes the mission particularly suited to tropical forest disturbance monitoring, surface deformation mapping via interferometry, and disaster response imaging in cloud-covered or smoke-obscured regions.

ALOS-2 succeeded the original ALOS (Daichi, 2006-2011) and substantially improved on its predecessor by adding right-and-left looking capability and expanding maximum swath width from the original PALSAR to up to 490 km [^jaxa-global-projects]. The satellite exceeded its 5-year primary design life (goal: 7 years) and remained in extended operations as of 2026. JAXA launched ALOS-4 (Daichi-4) on 1 July 2024 as the successor mission [^jaxa-alos4-launch]; both satellites operated concurrently during the transition period.

## Compositional position
- ALOS-2 --[mission_payloads]--> palsar-2 (products)

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/alos-2
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)