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| Yamato satellite | |
|---|---|
| Name | Yamato satellite |
| Mission type | Earth observation / technology demonstration |
| Operator | JAXA / NEC / University of Tokyo |
| Launched | 2018-03-14 |
| Launch vehicle | H-IIA |
| Launch site | Tanegashima Space Center |
| Orbit | Sun-synchronous orbit |
| Apsis | gee |
Yamato satellite Yamato satellite was a Japanese small satellite mission combining Earth observation, materials testing, and spaceborne technology demonstration. Developed by a consortium including Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NEC Corporation, University of Tokyo, and industry partners, the project linked research from Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, and private contractors. The mission aimed to validate sensors, communications, and attitude control techniques for follow-on programs such as Hayabusa2-derived platforms and cooperative missions with JAXA and international partners like NASA and European Space Agency.
The satellite addressed objectives in applied research, technology readiness, and operational demonstration supporting programs like GOSAT and ALOS-2. It integrated heritage from missions including Hayabusa, Kibo (ISS module), and SELENE (Kaguya) while contributing to national initiatives such as the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization collaborations and university-driven constellations. Stakeholders included Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan), corporate entities like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and academic labs at Kyoto University and Tohoku University.
The design drew on experience from satellite buses used by ETS-VIII and microsatellites like Hodoyoshi series. Systems engineering teams from JAXA and NEC coordinated structure, power, and thermal subsystems; avionics architecture borrowed elements from Akatsuki and Hayabusa2. Development phases followed procedures from ISO 9001-aligned contractors and adopted materials evaluation protocols from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency facilities and laboratories at Osaka University. Key contributors included spacecraft integration groups at Mitsubishi Electric and payload teams from Riken.
Operations were conducted from control centers at Tsukuba Space Center and supported by ground stations at Tanegashima Space Center and university networks including Nippon Telegraph and Telephone. Command uplink and telemetry downlink schedules aligned with Sun-synchronous passes used by platforms like GCOM-W. Mission operations coordinated tasking for observation campaigns with agencies such as Geospatial Information Authority of Japan and international data sharing with Group on Earth Observations partners. Operations included contingency planning influenced by lessons from Akatsuki anomaly response and cooperative tracking with United States Space Surveillance Network assets.
The payload suite combined optical imagers, spectral sensors, and technology demonstrators. Optical systems were descended from instruments used on ALOS and SPRINT-A (Hisaki), while spectral payloads referenced heritage from GCOM-C and GOSAT. Onboard experiments included a novel star tracker inspired by H-II Transfer Vehicle navigation sensors, a reaction wheel assembly similar to those on Hayabusa, and a compact synthetic aperture radar prototype echoing concepts from ALOS-2. Additional instruments tested radiation-hard components sourced from suppliers used by NEC and evaluated detector materials studied at National Institute for Materials Science.
Yamato launched aboard an H-IIA rocket from Tanegashima Space Center into a Sun-synchronous orbit with local time of descending node chosen for synergy with Sentinel and Landsat missions. The launch campaign involved teams from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and launch coordination with JAXA mission control. Post‑insertion maneuvers used thrusters influenced by designs from Hayabusa2 and orbital maintenance followed protocols employed by EarthCARE and other low Earth orbit platforms.
Ground infrastructure employed stations interoperable with networks operated by JAXA, university consortia, and commercial ground segment providers such as Canonical Ground Systems-style contractors and partners at NEC. Data processing pipelines used algorithms developed in collaboration with research groups at University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, and Tohoku University and implemented standards similar to those used by CEOS and GEO. Data distribution leveraged archives modeled on JAXA DARTS and cooperative dissemination with NASA's data portals and ESA data systems for selected science teams.
Results included validation of miniaturized imaging systems applicable to missions like Hayabusa2 follow-ons, performance metrics for attitude control units relevant to Akatsuki-class pointing, and materials degradation data informing designs at National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. Science outcomes supported studies in land use and coastal monitoring complementary to datasets from Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8, enabling collaborations with Geospatial Information Authority of Japan and academic groups at Hokkaido University and Osaka University. Technology demonstrations reduced risk for subsequent programs undertaken by JAXA and industry partners including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and NEC Corporation.
Category:Japanese satellites Category:2018 in spaceflight