Engineering:SDS-4

From HandWiki
SDS-4
Mission typeTechnology
OperatorJAXA
COSPAR ID2012-025C
SATCAT no.38339
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeSDS
Launch mass50 kilograms (110 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date17 May 2012, 16:39 (2012-05-17UTC16:39Z) UTC[2]
RocketH-IIA 202
Launch siteTanegashima Yoshinobu 1
ContractorMitsubishi
End of mission
Deactivated1 July 2021 (2021-08)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude666 kilometres (414 mi)
Apogee altitude678 kilometres (421 mi)
Inclination98.23 degrees
Period98.05 minutes
Epoch30 October 2013, 08:31:20 UTC[3]
 

SDS-4 (Small Demonstration Satellite 4) is a small satellite (50 cm cube with mass of 50 kg) developed by JAXA. It was launched as a secondary payload on the Shizuku mission on 17 May 2012 UTC.[4]

In 2019, its ownership was transferred to the SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (JSAT).[5] Operation was terminated by the end of June 2021.[6]

There are four rather specialised systems on the satellite:

  • SPAISE (SPace-based Automatic Identification SystEm) - test on-orbit a receiver for picking up signals from Automatic Identification System transmitters on ships well out to sea, and determine how space-based reception is affected by interference between nearby transmitters and by environmental conditions.
  • FOX (Flat heat-pipe on-orbit experiment) - to test whether flat heat pipes work in space in accordance with theoretical models and with tests on Earth
  • IST (In-flight experiment of Solar absorption rate with THERME) - to acquire information about the effect of sunlight in space on thermal coatings, re-flying the THERME instrument developed by CNES for testing different thermal coatings [7]
  • QCM (Quartz Crystal Microbalance) - to test whether a Japanese-manufactured quartz microbalance works well in monitoring contamination of the satellite from assembly to on-orbit operation.

References