Question map
In the year 2009, Japan launched its first satellite to monitor greenhouse gases. What is the name of the satellite ?
Explanation
In January 2009, Japan launched the world's first satellite dedicated to monitoring greenhouse gases from space [t2][t5]. The satellite is officially known as the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) and was given the nickname 'Ibuki', which translates to 'breath' in Japanese [t4][t8]. Launched via an H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center, Ibuki was designed to measure the global distribution of carbon dioxide and methane [t6][t9]. It was a joint project involving the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), and the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) [t1][t7]. The satellite operates in a sun-synchronous orbit, providing high-precision data to help scientists understand the sources and sinks of greenhouse gases and verify international emission regulations [t6][t10].