BackForward Satellite Programme: Advanced Satellite with new system ARchitecture for Observation 

Programme details
Programme description
  • Series of satellites for land observation.
  • Commercially-oriented Japanese programme: coordinated by USEF (Institute for Unmanned Space Experiment Free Flyer) and developed by NEC Corporation under sponsorship of METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry).
  • The platforms are actively stabilised over 3 axes.
  • The design life time is 5 years.
  • The satellites exploit sunsynchronous orbits around 11:00 (optical) or 06:00 (SAR).
  • Two satellites launched at short time interval provide complementary measurements, in optical and SAR bands.
  • See detailed descriptions at https://directory.eoportal.org/missions/asnaro and https://directory.eoportal.org/missions/asnaro-2.
Data circulation
  • Real-time transmission to ground stations in Hokkaido, Okinawa, Singapore and Svalbard (also for stored data).  Further stations (also mobile) at appointed user sites.
  • All data concentrated to the Data centre by high speed ground links for processing and distribution.
Agencies USEF , NEC, METI
Programme lifetime 2014 - 2025
Associated satellites and instruments

Note: red tag => no longer operational , green tag => operational , blue tag => planned