The JASON-2 satellite is composed of:

a PROTEUS platform (Plate-forme Reconfigurable pour l'Observation, pour les Télécommunications et les Usages Scientifiques). This platform is designed for satellites weighing approximately 500 kg when launched.

a payload with the following main instruments:


A Poseidon-3 altimeter, measuring the distance between the satellite and the sea surface, and used to perform precise corrections in relation to the signal trajectory in the ionosphere (CNES contribution)
An AMR (Advanced Microwave Radiometer), designed to identify the water content in the troposphere (NASA contribution)
A DORIS system used for precise orbit determination (CNES contribution)
A GPSP system (GPS Payload), in addition to DORIS, to calculate satellite positioning (NASA contribution)
An LRA (Laser Reflected Area) instrument used for the precise calibration of other instruments for the analysis of laser pulses conducted from the ground and reflected onboard by a array of mirrors (NASA contribution)


and three 'passenger' instruments:

CARMEN2 dosimeter used to improve knowledge of particularly aggressive radiation in Jason's orbit (DORIS, electronic risk assessment) (CNES contribution)
LPT (Light Particles Telescope) another dosimeter (JAXA/CNES contribution)
T2L2 (Transfert de Temps par Lien Laser) used to synchronise remote clocks with very high precision (CNES contribution)

JASON-2 satellite main characteristics

Mass	525 kg
Power	511 W
S band telemetry bande S	838.86 kbits/s for telemetry, 4 kbits/s for telecommand
Mission lifetime	5 years

The satellite was sent into orbit by a Delta2 launch vehicle supplied by NASA on June 20th, 2008, the takeoff took place from Vandenberg.