Jason 3

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General

Designation	41240 / 16002A
Launch date	17 Jan 2016
Country of origin	France and United States
Mission	Remote sensing
Perigee/Apogee	1336 km
Inclination	66°
Period
Launch vehicle	Falcon 9 #26

Launch initially planned in 2013. Program worth $380 million. Goes through a 6-month checkout and calibration period.

Approved by Eumetsat in early 2010, to contribute EUR 63.6 million. NOAA will contribute $100 million.
Total cost estimated to EUR 252 million.

Jason-3 is designed to measure precisely the height of the ocean surface, allowing scientists to monitor ocean circulation and sea level.

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External resources

http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/jason-3

sat-index articles

n2yo.com tracking

Technical data

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Specifications

Prime contractor	CNES with Thales Alenia Space
Platform	Proteus
Mass at launch	553 kg
Dry mass
Dimension
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power	550 W
Design lifetime	3 years (5 years expected)

3 instruments built by NASA:
- Advanced Microwave Radiometer: 3 frequencies (18, 23 & 34 GHz)
- Global Positioning System Payload
- Laser Retroflector Array

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