* Astronomy

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully carried out an optical communication experiment using laser beams between its Optical Inter-orbit Communication Engineering Test Satellite "Kirari" (OICETS), at an altitude of about 600 km, and the optical ground station "OGS-OP" (Optical Ground Station Oberpfaffenhofen) of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fur Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR, in Wessling, Bayern) at 10:13 a.m. on June 7, 2006 (Japan Standard Time, JST). JAXA and DLR confirmed that optical communication (downlink from the "Kirari") was successfully performed for 3 minutes.

The "Kirari" has already performed a bi-directional optical communication experiment successfully with the optical ground station of the National Institute of Information and Communication Technology (NICT) last March. However, the DLR optical ground station is unique as it is a mobile station. Therefore, the success this time indicates the possibility of establishing a flexible optical communication network with a satellite and a mobile optical ground station.

The "Kirari" is scheduled to continue experiments including an optical communication test with an optical ground station and an inter-orbit optical communication test with the Advanced Relay and Technology Mission (ARTEMIS) of the European Space Agency (ESA) to acquire statistical

On December 9, 2005 (Japan Standard Time, JST), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) succeeded in a bidirectional optical inter-orbit communication experiment using a laser beam between the Optical Inter-orbit Communications Engineering Test Satellite "Kirari" (OICETS) and the Advanced Relay and Technology Mission (ARTEMIS) of the ESA.

This is the first bidirectional optical inter-orbit communication in the world.

The success of this experiment has made it possible for JAXA to acquire enabling technology mainly for on-orbit laser beam acquisition and tracking technology. Also it enables us to collect data for improving transmission speed and volume, and for making onboard communication equipment smaller and lighter, which are essential for a future data relay satellite. In addition, they were able to obtain technology for future international mutual operations through international cooperation with ESA.

Optical inter-orbit communication is a method for satellites that are moving several kilometres per second in respective orbits to transmit and receive laser beams. The distance between them can be as far as about 40,000 kilometres.
This inter-orbit communication using laser beams is a highly advanced technology that can be described like "hitting the eye of a needle placed on top of the Mt. Fuji from Tokyo Station." This communication method has a lot of advantages.
For example, communication can be more stable because, unlike radio waves, laser beams do not cause interference. Also, onboard equipment can be smaller and lighter, but transmission speed is higher, and large volume data can be smoothly exchanged.

Kirari's optical inter-orbit communication technology is expected to be an essential technology for supporting various future space activities including global data acquisition by an earth observation satellite as a communication method between a low earth orbit satellite and a data relay satellite in geostationary orbit.
JAXA will continue to verify enabling technologies and to carry out functional verification in the space environment.

JAXA has released the holding mechanism of the Laser Utilizing Communications Equipment, LUCE, on the Kirari, and confirmed that the release operations were successfully carried out by analyzing telemetry data from the satellite.

JAXA also confirmed that the Kirari satellite was injected into its intended orbit and is functioning normally.
After the release of the LUCE holding mechanism was over, Kirari completed its scheduled critical phase, and moved to the initial functional verification phase. Onboard equipment functions will be verified for about three months until November.


Reimei entered the Initial Functional Verification Phase and performed the sun acquisition automatic sequence.
JAXA confirmed that the sequence was successfully carried out by analyzing telemetry data from the satellite.

The Reimei satellite completed its scheduled critical phase as it finished the sequence, and move to the initial functional verification phase.

The RS-20 rocket was originally designed to intercept other intercontinental ballistic missiles, has been in use in the Russian Strategic Missile Forces for over 25 years.



The RS-20 Voyevoda heavy intercontinental ballistic missile (NATO name Satan) is a two-stage missile that can be equipped with a multiple warhead (6,835 mi) or a light warhead (9,320 mi). It is 34 meters in length, three meters in diameter, and has a maximum launch weight of 211 metric tons.

-- Edited by Blobrana at 20:36, 2005-08-25