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Welcome

JEM-GLIMS (Global Lightning and sprIte MeasurementS on JEM-EF) is a space mission to observe lightning and lightning-associated Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) such as sprites, elves, blue jets and gigantic jets from the Exposed Facility (EF) at Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), International Space Station (ISS). One of the notable feature of the JEM-GLIMS mission is to carry out nadir observation of lightning and TLEs from the ISS orbital altitude (~400 km). From this great advantage, it is possible to measure horizontal distribution and spatial and temporal evolution of lightning and TLEs.

The JEM-GLIMS mission was selected as a potential mission for the second period utilization experiment at JEM-EF in May 2007. After the numerous feasibility studies, the JEM-GLIMS mission was shifted to the development phase on November 2008. All the development, fabrication, and tests of the JEM-GLIMS instruments were finished on November 2010, and the JEM-GLIMS instruments were installed into the Multi-mission Consolidated Equipment (MCE), which is a bus system for JEM-GLIMS. All the system environment tests was successfully finished on February 2012, and MCE was installed into H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) #3. HTV3 was successfully launched by the H-IIB rocket at 02:06:18 UT on July 21, 2012, and HTV3 has reached ISS and made a docking with ISS on July 28, 2012. Then, HTV3 was finally installed at JEM-EF on August 9, 2012.

The initial checkout operation was started from the end of September and was successfully finished on November 12, 2012. After the checkout operation, test observations to observe lightning and TLEs were carried out. From December 20, 2012, the JEM-GLIMS mission was shifted to the nominal operation phase and will continue about 2 years continuous observations.

  • Organization & Member
  • Mission Status

    • What's New

    (Update : 2017/04/07)
    * JEM-GLIMS L2 data are opened at DARTS (ISAS/JAXA) !!
    * L2 ver1.0 data can be downloaded. Please visit this web page.

    (Update : 2017/03/10)
    * JEM-GLIMS L2 data can be downloaded at DARTS (ISAS/JAXA) from the end of March 2017.
    * LSI and PH optical data and VLFR radio wave data will be first distributed.

    (Update : 2017/01/10)
    * Results of data comparison between JEM-GLIMS PH and BOLT network was published in Geophysical Research Letters.
    Kikuchi, H., et al. (2017), Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, doi:10.1002/2016GL071783.

    (Update : 2016/09/22)
    * Identification method of sprites from JEM-GLIMS data was published in Terrestrial Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.
    Sato, M., et al. (2017), Terr. Atmos. Ocean. Sci., in press, doi:10.3319/TAO.2016.09.21.02.

    (Update : 2016/08/16)
    * The results of JEM-GLIMS VITF were published in Earth, Planets and Space.
    Morimoto, T., et al. (2016), Earth, Planets and Space, 68, 145, doi:10.1186/s40623-016-0522-1.

    (Update : 2016/05/27)
    We received the "IEEJ Technical Development Award (72th)" from the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ) !!
    Due to the excellent outcome of the JEM-GLIMS mission, we received the "IEEJ Technical Development Award (72th)" from the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ) on May 27, 2016.
    * Web page at IEEJ (in Japanese)

    (Update : 2016/04/20)
    The results of JEM-GLIMS PH were published in Journal of Atmosheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics.
    Adachi, T., et al. (2016), J. Atmos. Solar-Terr. Phys., 145, 85-97, doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2016.04.010.

    (Update : 2016/03/03)
    The observation results of sprites by JEM-GLIMS were published in Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmosphere.
    Sato, M., et al. (2016), J. Geophys. Res. - Atmos., 121, 3171-3194, doi:10.1002/2015JD024311.

    (Update : 2016/01/22)
    The observational results of VITF on board JEM-GLIMS were published in IEEE - Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.
    Kikuchi, H., et al. (2016), IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 54(7), 3868-3877, doi:10.1109/TGRS.2016.2529658.

    (Update : 2015/03/31)
    The initial results derived from the JEM-GLIMS mission were published in Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmosphere.
    Sato, M., et al. (2015), J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 120, 3822-3851, doi:10.1002/2014JD022428.


    (Update : 2015/08/24)
    The operation of the JEM-GLIMS mission was finished !!
    (Update : 2014/12/21)
    JEM-GLIMS started the extended operation !!
    (Update : 2014/07/03)
    Dr. Mitsuteru SATO accepted honors in "Top Discoveries in Microgravity" at ISS R&D Conference !!
    ISS Research & Development Conference was held in Chicago, Illinois on June 17-19, 2014. In beharf of JEM-GLIMS mission team, Dr. Mitsuteru SATO accepted honors in "Top Discoveries in Microgravity" June 19 for the work as he highlighted research during the fifth plenary panel at the third annual ISS Research and Development conference.
    * NASA HP
    * JAXA HP (in Japanese)

    Slide Show

    • Instrument Fabrication & Tests

    • HTV3 Launch & MCE Installation