FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC-1 (COSMIC-1)
FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC was launched into a circular low-Earth orbit from the Vandenberg Air Force Base April 15, 2006. Since then, the data from COSMIC-1 have contributed significantly to a wide range of scientific investigation. The data set has lead to improved global weather forecasting, especially in data sparse regions including the oceans and near the poles. It has established a global climate change "thermometer" which has unprecedented long-term stability. FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC data probe many regions of the ionsophere, promising advances in Space Weather research that are expected to improve space weather forecasting capabilities.
COSMIC-1 has impacted many areas of scientific research including the following.
Meteorology
- Demonstrates operational value for weather prediction
- Investigates detailed global moisture distribution
- Monitors tropopause, and lower stratosphere temperature profiles with high resolution
- Provides all-weather data for joint analysis with other systems like GOES
Climate
- Provides a global "self-calibrating" data set for climate monitoring and model test
- Provides water vapor distribution, especially in the tropics
- Studies of ozone depletion
- Studies of troposphere/stratosphere exchange
- Studies of volcanic effects
Ionosphere
- Demonstrates operational value for monitoring global electron density field
- Demonstrates operational value for scintillation monitoring
- Provides electron density fields for model testing and development
- Develops predictive models
- Magnetospheric studies of auroral oval
Geodesy/Gravity
- Provides data for gravitational field improvement
- Provides data for possible GPS orbit improvement
- Supports other missions like GRACE
- Supports altimetric missions with ionospheric products
Links to COSMIC-1 data and further information: