Distant eyes
Yet another addition to the fleet of satellites peering down on earth is Japan's Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (adeos). Bristling with sensors for measuring everything from stratospheric ozone to ocean turbulence, the satellite launches Japan into the upper realms of remote-sensing science. Carrying eight instruments from Japan, France and the US, the satellite will gather data on basic earth and ocean processes, global climate change and climate degradation and regeneration over the next decade. If everything goes according to plan, adeos will be joined by three more earth-science satellites by 2000 AD.