Observing the Earth

The ice sparkles beautifully...and slowly melts.

Up close, you can see the ice melting.

But if it were the North Pole...

Or the world’s oceans...

How would you see it?
You could see it if you went out into space.

This is where satellites come in.

Satellites have been observing the earth for a long time. By providing observation data,They help protect the earth's environment, prevent disasters, and aid disaster recovery.

They also help maintain a stable supply of food, from the land, and from the sea.
Not to mention predict the weather.

Thank you! You helped me stay dry!

Satellites are now an indispensible part of our lives.

Many satellites in space are developed, built, and supported by NEC technology.

Technology to accurately trace invisible orbits.

Technology to protect the electronic componentry of satellites from the harsh environment of space.

Technology to process the data sent from satellites in space into data that can be used by us back on Earth.

All these technologies

Are being used in the high-profile, advanced satellite Global Change Observation Mission 1st – Water, Shizuku.

[Yasuhiro Naiki]
“Shizuku scans 1450 km in one sweep, so in two days, it can observe about 99% of the earth’s surface. That’s a lot of data.
We process the raw data received from Shizuku into image data and get it where it needs to go. This kind of complex data processing has never been seen before.”

[Tatsuya Yoshida]
“Shizuku is like a compilation of accumulated know-how. NEC was responsible for manufacturing the satellite, developing the system used to control the satellite on the ground, and assembling the satellite. We also provide support for controlling the satellite in space.”

Some technical skills cannot be gained from reading manuals.
One engineer at NEC brings years of experience to the job. He is known as a contemporary master craftsman.

[Seietsu Nishine]
“Once the satellite is launched, I can’t go to repair it, so I always work as hard as I can until I’m satisfied. I tell my young co-workers that they are involved in making something very important.”

NEC has been working in the space industry for more than half a century.

From Japan’s first satellite Ohsumi

To the weather satellite Himawari, which pioneered weather forecasting using satellite data.

And the recent, epoch-making Hayabusa, the first satellite in history to successfully obtain a sample from an asteroid and bring it back to Earth.

Also Daichi, a satellite that has provided data for emergency relief operations after a number of natural disasters.

NEC has been involved in building close to 70 satellites over the years.

And continues to work on a number of projects.

Such as developing the low-cost advanced small satellite NEXTAR, a new type of satellite that will expand the usability of space.

As a leader in the space industry, NEC is committed to improving the lives of all people on the Earth, and building a future full of hope.