JAXA’s Earth observation analysis on COVID-19 under JAXA, ESA and NASA trilateral cooperation

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought difficulties to daily lives and caused various changes in socio-economic activities and the environment. Since satellite-based earth observation allows us to monitor the earth's surface globally and periodically with various physical parameters, we defined it as our responsibility to monitor the changes of the earth from space, share the observation results with the public, and record it for future generations. To fulfill this responsibility, JAXA has cooperated with NASA and ESA to develop the Earth Observing Dashboard, which provides earth environmental change information before/after COVID-19 spreading. This trilateral collaboration among the space agencies gave us an excellent opportunity to maximize the value of our earth observation data. Combining the three agencies’ satellites will allow us to increase observation frequency and observe the targeted area providing multiple perspectives. In this cooperation, we have utilized Japanese satellites, GOSAT, ALOS-2, and GCOM-C for monitoring and detecting the changes in various fields such as greenhouse gasses, socio-economic activities, agriculture, and water quality.