EO·Atlas
Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E)
Compiled from public sources on 2026-06-04. Not independently verified by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.
Work at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation? This page is unclaimed. Claim it free to keep it accurate and add your links. What operators can do →
Twelve-channel, six-frequency conical-scan passive-microwave imaging radiometer on NASA Aqua (launched 2002-05-04). Developed and provided by JAXA; built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Offset parabolic reflector 1.6 m diameter, conical scan at 40 rpm, Earth incidence angle 55 deg, swath 1450 km. Frequency bands: 6.925, 10.65, 18.7, 23.8, 36.5, 89.0 GHz, V and H polarisation at all channels. Retrieved sea surface temperature, sea ice concentration, snow water equivalent, soil moisture, precipitation, water vapour, and ocean wind speed. Operated 9+ years against a 3-year design life; rotation halted 2011-10-04 due to antenna bearing failure (motor torque exceeded 4.5 Nm limit).
The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) was a twelve-channel, six-frequency conical-scan passive-microwave imaging radiometer developed and provided by JAXA, built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, and flown aboard the NASA Aqua satellite, which launched on 4 May 2002.[1][2] AMSR-E was the first JAXA-provided instrument aboard a NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) spacecraft.
The instrument used an offset parabolic reflector 1.6 m in diameter, rotating at 40 rpm in a conical scan geometry at a fixed Earth incidence angle of 55 degrees, producing a swath width of 1450 km. This geometry provided near-daily global coverage over the instrument's operational life.[1][3]
AMSR-E operated at six frequency bands: 6.925, 10.65, 18.7, 23.8, 36.5, and 89.0 GHz, with both vertical and horizontal polarisation at each channel, totalling twelve measurement channels.[1] Spatial footprint at 6.925 GHz was reported as 43 x 75 km by JAXA EORC[1] and as 74 x 43 km by NASA Earthdata[3], reflecting a difference in axis convention (along-track x cross-track versus cross-track x along-track) between the two sources; the physical footprint dimensions are equivalent. At 89.0 GHz the instrument carried two feedhorns, achieving footprints of approximately 3.7 x 6.5 km and 3.5 x 5.9 km.[1]
AMSR-E retrieved a suite of geophysical variables including sea surface temperature, sea ice concentration and extent, snow water equivalent, soil moisture, atmospheric water vapour, precipitation rate, and ocean wind speed.[3][2] These retrievals supported climate and weather applications including sea ice mapping and global water cycle monitoring.
Designed for a three-year operational life, AMSR-E operated for more than nine years before experiencing a rotation anomaly in which increased rotation friction caused torque to exceed the design limit.[4] JAXA halted instrument rotation on 4 October 2011 to prevent further mechanical damage.[4] No further scanning observations were collected after that date.
Pricing not publicly listed by operator
Compositional position
- Multi-frequency microwave imaging radiometryvia Aqua
- Sea-surface temperature retrievalvia Aqua
AMSR-E is a passive-microwave SST-capable radiometer for cloudy/all-weather ocean continuity.
- Satellite precipitation retrieval
Passive-microwave input sensor class used by IMERG-era precipitation retrievals; full IMERG/GMI product row is open.
- [1]AMSR-E sensor specifications, JAXA EORC AMSR webagency doc2026-06-04
- [2]Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer EOS, NASA Earthdataagency doc2026-06-04
- [3]Observation Halted by AMSR-E, JAXA press release 2011-10-04agency doc2026-06-04
- [4]AMSR-E instrument page, Aqua Project Science, NASAagency doc2026-06-04