Hayato, known before launch as KSAT, or the Kagoshima Satellite, is a Japanese
satellite
A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioi ...
which was launched on 20 May 2010. It is a student-built spacecraft, which is operated by
Kagoshima University
, abbreviated to , is a Japanese national university located in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
History
The university was established in 1949 consolidating the following schools because of educational reform in occupied Japan.
* - e ...
, and is being used for
technology demonstration
A technology demonstration (or tech demo), also known as demonstrator model, is a prototype, rough example or an otherwise incomplete version of a conceivable product or future system, put together as proof of concept with the primary purpose of ...
and
atmospheric research.
The satellite is a single unit
CubeSat
A CubeSat is a class of miniaturized satellite based around a form factor consisting of cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than per unit, and often use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components for their electronics and structure. CubeSats ...
, and carries equipment to study
water vapour
(99.9839 °C)
, -
, Boiling point
,
, -
, specific gas constant
, 461.5 J/( kg·K)
, -
, Heat of vaporization
, 2.27 MJ/kg
, -
, Heat capacity
, 1.864 kJ/(kg·K)
Water vapor, water vapour or aqueous vapor is the gaseous pha ...
in the
Earth's atmosphere
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing fo ...
,
microwave imagery and
spacecraft communication
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, pl ...
.
Launch
The launch was conducted by
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the predecessor of Mitsubishi Mo ...
under contract to the
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). In preparation for a planned launch on 17 May 2010, the H-IIA launch vehicle was rolled out to Pad 1 of the
Yoshinobu Launch Complex
Yoshinobu Launch Complex (LC-Y) is a rocket launch site at the Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima. The site and its collection of facilities were originally built for the H-II launch vehicle and later used for H-IIA and H-IIB launches.
I ...
at the
Tanegashima Space Center
The (TNSC) is the largest rocket-launch complex in Japan with a total area of about 9.7 square kilometers. It is located on the southeast coast of Tanegashima, an island approximately south of Kyushu. It was established in 1969 when the ...
on 16 May 2010. It departed the assembly building at 21:01 UTC and arriving at the launch pad 24 minutes later at 21:25 UTC.
The terminal countdown began at 11:30 UTC on 17 May 2010 and by 15:28 UTC, the loading of
cryogenic propellant
Cryogenic fuels are fuels that require storage at extremely low temperatures in order to maintain them in a liquid state. These fuels are used in machinery that operates in space (e.g. rockets and satellites) where ordinary fuel cannot be used, d ...
into the rocket's first and second stages had been completed.
The launch attempt was scrubbed a few minutes before liftoff due to bad weather, but took place successfully at 21:58:22
UTC on 20 May 2010.
Mission
Hayato was deployed from a
JAXA Picosatellite Deployer attached to the second stage of the
H-IIA
H-IIA (H-2A) is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. These liquid fuel rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit; lunar o ...
launch vehicle used in the launch of the
Akatsuki spacecraft towards
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...
. KSAT shared its dispenser with the
Negai satellite, whilst a second dispenser contained
Waseda-SAT2
Waseda-SAT2 is a Japanese satellite which launched in May 2010. It is a student-built spacecraft, which will be operated by Waseda University, and is intended to be used for Earth observation and technology demonstration. It will test the use of ...
. The three CubeSats separated into
low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, with an altitude never mor ...
during a
coast phase of the launch, between the first and second burns of the second stage. The launch vehicle then continued to
heliocentric orbit, where it deployed Akatsuki, along with the
IKAROS and
UNITEC-1 spacecraft.
Contact with the satellite was established for 12 days only.
See also
*
List of CubeSats
The following is a list of CubeSats, nanosatellites used primarily by universities for research missions, typically in low Earth orbits. Some CubeSats became their country's first national satellite. The extensivNanosatellite and CubeSat Databas ...
References
{{Orbital launches in 2010
Satellites of Japan
Spacecraft launched in 2010
Student satellites
CubeSats
Spacecraft which reentered in 2010
Spacecraft launched by H-II rockets