Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (Jan 2009)

GPS Radio Occultation: Results from CHAMP, GRACE and FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC

  • Jens Wickert,
  • Grzegorz Michalak,
  • Torsten Schmidt,
  • Georg Beyerle,
  • Chio-Zong Cheng,
  • Sean B. Healy,
  • Stefan Heise,
  • Cheng-Yung Huang,
  • Norbert Jakowski,
  • Wolfgang Kohler,
  • Christoph Mayer,
  • Dave Offiler,
  • Eiji Ozawa,
  • Alexander G. Pavelyev,
  • Markus Rothacher,
  • Byron Tapley,
  • Christina Arras

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3319/TAO.2007.12.26.01(F3C)
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 1
p. 035

Abstract

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The Taiwan/US FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (FORMOsa SATellite mission - 3/Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate) satellite nstellation was successfully launched on 14 April 2006. It is expected to leverage the use of the GPS (Global Positioning System) radio occultation data for atmospheric and ionospheric research to improve global weather forecasts and aid climate change related studies. FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC, together with the European MetOp, German CHAMP and US/German GRACE-A satellites, form a 9 satellite constellation for precise atmospheric sounding on a global scale. This satellite constellation is expected to provide about 3500 occultation measurements daily.

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