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The development of spaceborne microwave sensors, known as spaceborne "radars," enable the measurement of the spatial distribution of physical, chemical, and biological parameters of the Earth's surface, atmosphere, and oceans. Moreover, spaceborne microwave radars are able to do this with accuracy and homogeneity, independent of cloud coverage or the angle of the sun.
Charles Elachi, Nobuyoshi Fugono, and Ken'ichi Okamoto contributed to the development of technologies for obtaining essential data, such as plant distribution, ocean winds, and precipitation, on a global scale, and validating the capability of spaceborne radar for remote sensing purposes. These technologies enable the continual measurement of precipitation, wind, water content of soil, and structural or topographic features of the Earth's surface in tropical or polar areas, which are frequently covered by clouds. Obtaining data on various parameters in such areas is not possible with visible or thermal infrared waves, however the collection of such data is considered to be essential for studying environmental problems and global climate change.
They foresaw the importance of environmental problems and water resource issues in the late 1970s, and developed spaceborne microwave radars for monitoring the global environment to resolve such issues. Their foresight and pioneering achievements should be highly evaluated.
In 1978, Elachi played a major role in getting high-resolution global environmental measurements using three kinds of radars (Synthetic Aperture Radar, Ocean Scatterometer, and Altimeter) onboard the satellite "SEASAT," while working for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Between 1981 and 1994, he played the leading role in the definition and development of a series of shuttle space borne imaging radars that established observation techniques for collecting various kinds of environmental data after extensive research on the interaction between microwaves and objects on the Earth.
Furthermore, he played a leading role in both designing spaceborne radars and planning and promoting the remote sensing project, establishing the basic and fundamental science and technologies on earth environment monitoring radars.
Fugono and Okamoto commenced research on remote measurement of rainfall, getting a hint from the attenuation of radio waves by rainfall on satellite communication, because rainfall is an important energy source in atmospheric circulation as well as a significant water resource. In 1980, working at the Communications Research Laboratory in Japan, Fugono and Okamoto succeeded in measuring rainfall with an airborne dual-frequency rain-scatterometer/radiometer for the first time in the world. This success triggered the start of collaborative remote sensing rainfall project between the U.S. and Japan, known as the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), in 1986.
Fugono and Okamoto developed the precipitation radar, which was a core device on the TRMM satellite, and, in 1997, the TRMM satellite was launched. Since its launch, the TRMM satellite has been providing accurate and homogeneous data on rainfall in the tropical zone, where previously rainfall data was lacking. It has also succeeded in sending accurate and detailed three-dimensional precipitation data on typhoons and unusual rainfall associated with the El Niño phenomena.
The spaceborne global environment measuring radars, Elachi, Fugono and Okamoto contributed to through their technical creativity and excellent leadership, have provided very accurate and homogeneous data on various parameters of the global environment. This data enables humankind to proceed in taking a great step towards assuring the quality of life into the future. The Takeda Foundation honors this achievement and bestows upon this achievement the Takeda Award.
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