Satellite Mapping Tsunami Area Feared Lost

[Mulboyne]

Spaceflight: Japanese Earth observing satellite feared lost
Japan's Advanced Land Observing Satellite, one of the world's foremost remote sensing platforms, inexplicably lost power Friday, likely ending its mission mapping Earth and monitoring natural disasters, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The spacecraft switched to a low-power mode around 7:30 a.m. Japan time Friday, where the satellite's three observation instruments shut down to conserve electricity. Telemetry indicated ALOS lost all power later Friday, according to JAXA. "Since then, the power generation has been rapidly deteriorating, and we currently cannot confirm power generation," a JAXA press release said...ALOS [was] launched aboard an H-2A rocket Jan. 24, 2006. The satellite unfurled a 72-foot-long solar panel, the largest single deployable array on any Japanese spacecraft. It was designed to produce at least 4 kilowatts of power at the end of the satellite's life. The ALOS mission was supposed to last at least three years, and the craft narrowly achieved JAXA's stated goal of five years of operations...Two other electrical system failures have ended major Japanese satellite observation missions in the last 15 years...more...

[damn name]

...Japan's Advanced Land Observing Satellite, one of the world's foremost remote sensing platforms, inexplicably lost power Friday...

TEPCO is managing satellite power supplies now?

[Coligny]

TEPCO is managing satellite power supplies now?

I haz moar self control than youz... but damn it was tempting to pull this one...

[Yokohammer]

TEPCO is managing satellite power supplies now?

First thought that popped into my head too.