Jason-1 was a satellite oceanography mission to monitor global ocean circulation, study the ties between the ocean and the atmosphere, improve global climate forecasts and predictions, monitor events such as El Niño and ocean eddies. The lineage of the name begins with the JASO1 meeting in Toulouse, France to study the problems of assimilating altimeter data in models. Jason as an acronym stands for "Joint Altimetry Satellite Oceanography Network". Additionally it is used to reference the mythical quest for knowledge of Jason and the Argonauts. Jason-1 is the successor to the TOPEX/Poseidon mission, which measured ocean surface topography from 1992 through 2005. Like its predecessor, Jason-1 is a joint project between the CNES space agencies. Jason-1's successor, the Ocean Surface Topography Mission on the Jason-2 satellite, was launched in June 2008; these satellites provide a unique global view of the oceans, impossible to acquire using traditional ship-based sampling. Jason-1 was built by Thales Alenia Space using a Proteus platform, under a contract from CNES, as well as the main Jason-1 instrument, the Poseidon-2 altimeter Jason-1 was designed to measure climate change through precise millimeter-per-year measurements of global sea level changes.

As did TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1 uses an altimeter to measure the hills and valleys of the ocean's surface. These measurements of sea surface topography allow scientists to calculate the speed and direction of ocean currents and monitor global ocean circulation; the global ocean is Earth's primary storehouse of solar energy. Jason-1's measurements of sea surface height reveal where this heat is stored, how it moves around Earth by ocean currents, how these processes affect weather and climate. Jason-1 was launched on December 7, 2001 from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Delta II rocket. During the first months Jason-1 shared an identical orbit to TOPEX/Poseidon, which allowed for cross calibration. At the end of this period, the older satellite was moved to a new orbit midway between each Jason ground track. Jason had a repeat cycle of 10 days. On 16 March 2002, Jason-1 experienced a sudden attitude upset, accompanied by temporary fluctuations in the onboard electrical systems. Soon after this incident, two new small pieces of space debris were observed in orbits lower than Jason-1's, spectroscopic analysis proved them to have originated from Jason-1.

In 2011, it was determined that the pieces of debris had most been ejected from Jason-1 by an unidentified, small "high-speed particle" hitting one of the spacecraft's solar panels. Orbit maneuvers in 2009 put the Jason-1 satellite on the opposite side of Earth from the Jason-2 satellite, operated by the U. S. and French weather agencies. At that time, Jason-1 flew over the same region of the ocean that Jason-2 flew over five days earlier, its ground tracks fell midway between those of Jason-2, which are about 315 kilometers apart at the equator. This interleaved tandem mission provided twice the number of measurements of the ocean's surface, bringing smaller features such as ocean eddies into view; the tandem mission helped pave the way for a future ocean altimeter mission that would collect much more detailed data with its single instrument than the two Jason satellites now do together. In early 2012, having helped cross-calibrate the Jason-2 replacement mission, Jason-1 was maneuvered into its graveyard orbit and all remaining fuel was vented.

The mission was still able to return science data. On 21 June 2013, contact with Jason-1 was lost, it was determined. Operators sent commands to the satellite to turn off remaining functioning components on 1 July 2013, rendering it decommissioned, it is estimated. The program is named after the Greek mythological hero Jason. Jason-1 has five 5 instruments: Poseidon 2 – Nadir pointing Radar altimeter using C band and Ku band for measuring height above sea surface. Jason Microwave Radiometer – measures water vapor along altimeter path to correct for pulse delay DORIS for orbit determination to within 10 cm or less and ionospheric correction data for Poseidon 2. BlackJack Global Positioning System receiver provides precise orbit ephemeris data Laser retroreflector array works with ground stations to track the satellite and calibrate and verify altimeter measurements; the Jason-1 satellite, its altimeter instrument and a position-tracking antenna were built in France. The radiometer, Global Positioning System receiver and laser retroreflector array were built in the United States.

TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 have led to major advances in the science of physical oceanography and in climate studies. Their 15-year data record of ocean surface topography has provided the first opportunity to observe and understand the global change of ocean circulation and sea level; the results have improved the understanding of the role of the ocean in climate change and improved weather and climate predictions. Data from these missions are used to improve ocean models, forecast hurricane intensity, identify and track large ocean/atmosphere phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña; the data are used every day in applications as diverse as routing ships, improving the safety and efficiency of offshore industry operations, managing fisheries, tracking marine mammals. TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason

Mark O'Shea is an English herpetologist, author and television personality. He is known internationally as the presenter of the Animal Planet/Discovery Channel series O'Shea's Big Adventure. From Wolverhampton, Mark O'Shea moved to Shropshire in 2001. Since 1980, O'Shea has conducted herpetological fieldwork in over 30 countries on six continents but he has special interest in the Australo-Papuan region, he has worked in Papua New Guinea since 1986 when he first visited the country as a member of the scientific directing staff of Operation Raleigh. He continued fieldwork in the country as a member of the Oxford University Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine snakebite research team throughout the 1990s, now researches there under the auspices of a fellowship from the Australian Venom Research Unit, based in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Melbourne. In 2006 O'Shea designed a set of six postage stamps called "The Dangerous Snakes of Papua New Guinea", for Post PNG; the launch of these stamps coincided with the snakebite workshops and fieldwork O'Shea and his colleagues from AVRU were conducting in that country.

O'Shea is involved in the Tropical Research Initiative at Victor Valley College and led by Hinrich Kaiser. The primary aim of the project was to conduct the first herpetological survey of Timor-Leste and to provide education and research opportunities for local researchers and students in their native environment. An additional goal was to assist government policy-makers and to educate the citizens of Asia's newest country as they tackle issues related to conservation and sustainability; the research has identified greater amphibian and reptile diversity than known. Mark held the position of Curator of Reptiles at the West Midland Safari Park from 1987 until 2002 when he became Consultant Curator of Reptiles. In 1997 and 1998 O'Shea made two films: Giant Snake in Venezuela and Black Mamba in South Africa. O'Shea's Big Adventure, or OBA, known as O'Shea's Dangerous Reptiles on Channel 4 in the UK, chronicles his many field excursions to find reptiles around the world; the programs were divided into four series, The Americas, Australasia & Pacific, South & Southeast Asia and Africa & South America.

The first two series each contained 13 half-hour films, the latter two each comprised four one-hour films. They have been aired worldwide. Since OBA, he has filmed two episodes of the series Safari Park, charting the day-to-day activities of West Midland Safari Park and the Ongava Game Reserve, filming in the UK and Namibia, has presented or appeared on other programs, including a report on the Dangerous Wild Animals Act for the BBC strand Inside Out, filming in the UK and the Netherlands. O'Shea is represented by David Foster Management. O'Shea has written several books, including The Book of Snakes: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from around the World, A Guide to the Snakes of Papua New Guinea, Dorling Kindersley's Handbook to Reptiles and Amphibians, Venomous Snakes of the World, Boas and Pythons of the World, he has contributed chapters to books on subjects ranging from rainforest ecology to snakebite, written numerous popular and scientific articles. O'Shea is The Explorers Club of New York.

In November 2000 he received the Millennium Award for Services to Exploration from the British Chapter of The Explorers Club. The other recipients were Brian Jones, F. Story Musgrave, Michael Wood, Sylvia Earle, Sir Chris Bonington, Buzz Aldrin, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, he was Chairman of the International Herpetological Society from 1983–86 and its President from 2003–06. In July 2010 the IHS awarded O'Shea with a life membership and fellowship for his "contributions to the Society and herpetology in general". In September 2002 O'Shea received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Wolverhampton, for "services to herpetology". In September 2018 O'Shea was appointed Professor of Herpetology at the University of Wolverhampton O'Shea is a patron of the National Association for Bikers with a Disability. and the Small Woods Association. University of Wolverhampton Graduate Feature: Mark O'Shea, University of Wolverhampton O'Shea's Big Adventure on IMDb

Rhea's Obsession, which takes its name from the Greek Titaness, was a Canadian music group from Toronto. Their music mixes several different styles including gothic rock and world music, similar to Dead Can Dance. Rhea's Obsession's was a collaboration between multi-instrumentalist Jim Field, who had worked with the Toronto band Dinner Is Ruined, vocalist/instrumentalist Sue Hutton. In addition to their professional association, the two were a couple, their first project was the 1995 score for an experimental dance film. After working on scores for television and film, they recorded Initiation in 1996. Two songs from the album were used in the TV series La Femme Nikita. Rhea's Obsession were featured in Battlestar Galactica, among many other film and television productions. In 1998, Rhea's Obsession performed at an annual North American gothic festival. While touring in support of Initiation, Rhea caught the attention of Metropolis Records, who released Rhea's second album, Between Earth and Sky, a reissue of Initiation in 2001.

Field and Hutton broke up as a couple in 2001. As a result, Rhea's Obsession was in a state of limbo for a while, but after a time Field and Hutton decided to continue working together. However, a planned third album called Walk On Fire was never issued; the band has not played live since the mid-2000s, has not updated their website since 2007. Hutton is debuting a band in 2018 on Metropolis Records called Indarra Indarra. Field now plays in ambient drone metal band Northumbria. Sue Hutton - Vocals, Bodhrán and Percussion, Sheet metal, Guitars, Occasional Programming Jim Field - Guitars, Programming, Ouds, Sitars Rob Greenway - Drums Syn - Keyboards Rakesh Tewari - Drums, Percussion Ed Hanley - Tabla Initiation Eclipse: A Collection of Rarities & Music for Film Between Earth and Sky Toronto goth scene Indarra Sue Hutton's new band Northumbria Metropolis Records' page