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| JAXA Misasa Tracking Station | |
|---|---|
| Name | Misasa Tracking Station |
| Native name | 美作追跡局 |
| Operator | Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency |
| Location | Misasa, Tottori Prefecture, Japan |
| Coordinates | 35°23′N 133°51′E |
| Established | 1987 |
| Status | Operational |
| Website | Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency |
JAXA Misasa Tracking Station is a ground-based satellite tracking and telemetry facility operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) located near Misasa in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The station performs radio tracking, telemetry, command (TT&C), and data reception for a variety of satellite and interplanetary mission projects, supporting both domestic programs and international partners. It functions as part of JAXA’s global network of ground stations that includes facilities such as the Uchinoura Space Center, Tanegashima Space Center, and overseas tracking sites for long-duration spacecraft operations.
The facility provides continuous TT&C services, downlink of science and engineering telemetry, and uplink capability for spacecraft command, integrating with JAXA’s mission control centers and international networks like the Deep Space Network equivalents and partner stations such as NASA Deep Space Network complexes and the ESA Tracking Station Network. Its strategic position on the western coast of Honshu affords favorable line-of-sight windows for low Earth orbit (LEO), geostationary (GEO) transfer, and certain deep-space trajectories. The station is linked to national research institutes including the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science and universities such as The University of Tokyo and Osaka University for data distribution and cooperative analysis.
Established in 1987 during a period of expansion for Japan’s space infrastructure, the site was developed to augment earlier tracking capabilities at Mukoyama and to provide redundancy with southern tracking assets like Tanegashima Space Center. Over decades the station has undergone upgrades in antenna hardware, signal processing, and cryogenic receiver technology informed by advances from international programs including Apollo program heritage and Voyager program telemetry techniques. Misasa has supported milestones in Japan’s aerospace history including early satellite launches by National Space Development Agency of Japan (predecessor organizations) and later JAXA missions during the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s modernization waves driven by projects such as Hayabusa and AKARI.
The complex houses multiple parabolic dish antennas of varying diameters equipped for S-band, X-band, and Ka-band communications compatible with modern deep-space network standards. Signal chains include low-noise amplifiers, downconverters, and digital signal processors for modulation schemes utilized by missions like Hayabusa2 and SLIM. On-site laboratories contain cryogenic test rigs, frequency standards traceable to International Atomic Time references, and redundant power generation including uninterruptible power systems and diesel backup influenced by lessons from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Data handling systems interface with high-performance computing resources at national centers such as the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology.
Misasa has been credited with supporting a range of satellite and spacecraft missions, from Earth observation platforms to interplanetary sample-return endeavors. Notable supported missions include telemetry and command passes for the Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 sample-return missions, communications for scientific satellites like Akatsuki, and operational links for Earth observation series such as GCOM-W. The station also provides tracking for international collaborative missions when coordinated through networks like NASA and the ESA, and plays a role in near-real-time support for disaster-monitoring satellites operated by agencies including the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Operational oversight is provided by JAXA technical staff specializing in radio frequency engineering, telemetry, mission operations, and antenna maintenance. Personnel include engineers trained through programs at institutions such as Kyoto University and Tohoku University, mission controllers with cross-training at facilities like Tsukuba Space Center, and visiting specialists from partner organizations during complex operations. The station follows strict operational procedures and international spectrum coordination protocols administered in part through International Telecommunication Union frameworks and cooperative agreements with partner agencies like NASA and CNES.
Beyond routine tracking, the Misasa facility participates in research on radio science, precise orbit determination, and atmospheric occultation experiments in collaboration with academic groups at Hokkaido University and the University of Tokyo. Cooperative projects have included radio science experiments leveraging signals for ionospheric studies related to geomagnetic storms and solar-terrestrial interactions studied by teams from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Collaborative efforts extend to technology development with partners including NEC Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric for antenna control, and with international laboratories for deep-space telecommunications advancements derived from programs like Cassini–Huygens and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter operations.
Located in a semi-rural area near Misasa Onsen and accessible via regional roads from Tottori city and the San’in Main Line, the station benefits from low radio-frequency interference and predictable weather patterns relative to coastal sites. Access is controlled for security and operational safety, with visitor arrangements coordinated through JAXA’s public outreach channels and academic partnerships with institutions such as Tottori University. Proximity to cultural sites like Uradome Coast complements occasional public engagement events hosted in cooperation with local governments and tourism boards.
Category:Spaceports in Japan Category:Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency