The Small Demonstration Satellite (SDS) is a spacecraft or

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 radioisotope ...

which is built as part of a

JAXA The is the Japanese national air and space agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003. JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and launch of satellites into orb ...

programme to develop and demonstrate technology for and through small satellites. One of the mid-term goals is also to demonstrate formation flying. SDS-1 launched aboard an

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 or ...

rocket on 23 January 2009, as a secondary payload to

GOSAT The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT''), also known as , is an Earth observation satellite and the world's first satellite dedicated to greenhouse gas monitoring. It measures the densities of carbon dioxide and methane from 56,000 loc ...

. The operation finished successfully on September 8, 2010. The programme started in spring 2006, and continues on from the MicroLabSat spacecraft, which was launched on 14 December 2002, and ceased operations on 27 September 2006. The following experiments were aboard: *MTP (Multi-mode integrated Transponder) *SWIM (SpaceWire demonstration Module) *AMI (Advanced Micro processing In-orbit experiment equipment) *TFC (Thin Film Solar Cell) *DOS (Small Dosimeter) *Small satellite bus technology experiment. Total mass of the satellite is 100 kg.

References

External links

eoPortal Directory - SDS-1
Satellites of Japan Spacecraft launched in 2009 Spacecraft launched by H-II rockets Derelict satellites orbiting Earth {{Japan-spacecraft-stub