* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Kiku No. 8 Satellite

Blobrana · L

According to the Kyodo news agency, Japan's Kiku No. 8 Satellite, launched last year and designed to improve mobile phone communications, has a technical glitch on one of its antennas.
Scientists on Tuesday failed to turn on a device to amplify radio waves received aboard the "Kiku".

Blobrana · L

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has been controlling the orbit of the Engineering Test Satellite VIII "KIKU No. 8" since December 28, 2006 (Japan Standard Time, JST) in order to inject it into the target geostationary orbit from the drift orbit. The final orbit control was performed for about 41 seconds from 7:59 p.m. on January 8 (JST.) Consequently, through the orbit determination results shown below, JAXA confirmed that the satellite was injected into the planned geostationary orbit at an east longitude of 146 degrees.
The "KIKU No.8" was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center at 3:32 p.m. on December 18, 2006 (JST.)

  	Determination result 	Values in drift orbit
Apogee Altitude   	35,796 Km 	35,971 Km
Perigee Altitude 	35,776 Km 	35,752 Km
Inclination 	         0.12 degrees 	0.17 degrees
Period 	              23 hours 56 minutes 	23 hours 59 minute
Drift rate 	      0.01 deg/day (to the East) 	   0.97 deg/day (to the West)

Source

Expand (76kb, 630 x 390)

TLE Data

ETS 8
1 29656U 06059A   07008.60000000 -.00000224  00000-0  00000+0 0   101
2 29656 000.1210 288.4810 0002067 049.1570 132.0960 01.00261965   276

Blobrana · L

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) shifted the attitude control mode of the Engineering Test Satellite VIII "KIKU No. 8" to the regular control mode at 4:14 a.m. on December 27, 2006 (Japan Standard Time, JST). All functions of the satellite have been verified to be normal after the control mode shift. This marks the end of the critical phase, and we are moving to the initial functional verification phase.

"In the initial functional verification phase, it will take about two weeks for the orbit to be gradually coordinated to the target Geostationary orbit at an east longitude of 146 degrees from the current drift orbit. Also, we will check the onboard equipment for about three and half months in cooperation with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT,) who are the collaborative development organizations of the "KIKU No. 8.
We would like to extend our profound appreciation to all related parties who have supported the launch and tracking and control operations of the KIKU No. 8. "

Blobrana · L

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) performed the remaining deployment operations for the large deployable antenna reflectors (LDR) onboard the Engineering Test Satellite VIII "KIKU No. 8" between 6:56 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. on December 26, 2006 (Japan Standard Time, JST) by sending commands from the Okinawa station. These included the release of the lower holding mechanism and the deployment of the reflectors for the sending antenna that were suspended. As a result, JAXA confirmed through telemetry data and images from onboard cameras sent from the satellite that the deployment of the sending antenna was successful. Images of the LDR acquired from the "KIKU No. 8" are attached below. This marks the completion of the LDR deployment.
The satellite is in a stable condition.

The satellite will shift to the regular attitude control mode and will progress from the critical phase to the initial functional verification phase.

Blobrana · L

The H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 11 (H-IIA F11) with the Engineering Test Satellite VIII "KIKU No. 8" (ETS-VIII) onboard was launched at 3:32 p.m. on December 18, 2006 (Japan Standard Time, JST.) The initial flight angle (azimuth) was 97 degrees.
The launch vehicle flew smoothly, and, at 27 minutes and 35 seconds after liftoff, the "KIKU No. 8" separation was confirmed.
The Santiago station (in Chile) started receiving signals from the "KIKU No. 8" at 4:27 p.m. (JST), and by those signals, JAXA confirmed that the solar array paddle deployment was successfully completed.

Source JAXA

Blobrana · L

KIKU No. 8 News Flash

Blobrana · L

RE: Kiku No. 8 Satellite

Blobrana · L

The launch of the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 11 (H-IIA F11) with the Engineering Test Satellite "KIKU NO. 8" (ETS-VIII) onboard has been postponed due to lightening fears over clouds, including a freezing layer, observed above the launch site. (Please refer to the attachment for an explanation of a freezing layer.) There is little possibility for the weather to recover by the time of the launch.

The new launch date has been set for December 18 (Mon), 2006 (Japan Standard Time, JST). The scheduled launch time is between 3:32 thru 3:44 p.m. (JST.)

Blobrana · L

On the morning of Nov. 2 at the Tanegashima Space Centre (TNSC), the "Kiku No. 8 (ETS-VIII)" completed its post-transportation function verification, and was moved from the Spacecraft and Fairing Assembly Building No. 2 (SFA2) to the Spacecraft and Fairing Assembly Building (SFA) for final preparations.
On the ninth, the cryogenic test for the H-IIA Launch Vehicle Flight No.11 (H-IIA F11) was held at the TNSC.
Preparations for the payload and launch vehicle are running smoothly ahead of the launch scheduled for next month.

Source JAXA