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H-2

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First Launch: 1994-02-03. Last Launch: 1998-02-21. Number: 9 .

H2 Heavy lift Japanese indigenous launch vehicle. The original H-2 version was cancelled due to high costs and poor reliability and replaced by the substantially redesigned H-2A. 3 stage vehicle consisted of 2 x H-II SRB + 1 x H-II stage 1 + 1 x H-II stage 2

H-II Heavy lift Japanese indigenous launch vehicle. The original H-2 version was cancelled due to high costs and poor reliability and replaced by the substantially redesigned H-2A.

H-IIA Japanese orbital launch vehicle. Low-cost version of H-2 developed for the commercial market. The two SRB-A solid rocket boosters can be supplemented by 4 smaller SSB solid boosters. 0 or 2 SSB's can be fitted for reduced 9,940 kg or 10,740 kg LEO payloads.

LE-7 Mitsubishi LOx/LH2 rocket engine for H-2 upper stages. Staged combustion turbopump. No throttle capability. First flight 1994.

• OREX - . Payload: Ryusei. Mass: 865 kg (1,906 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Re-entry test vehicle. Spacecraft: OREX. Decay Date: 1994-02-03 . USAF Sat Cat: 22978 . COSPAR: 1994-007A. Apogee: 451 km (280 mi). Perigee: 450 km (270 mi). Inclination: 30.50 deg. Period: 93.50 min. Orbital Reentry Experiment. Orbital Re-entry Experiment Vehicle (OREX) Ryusei. Acquisition of data related to atmospheric reentry. Launch vehicle H-II rocket test flight H-II 1F. Launching organization NASDA. Launch time 2220:00 UT. .

• VEP - . Payload: Myojo / LAPS. Mass: 2,391 kg (5,271 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: VEP. USAF Sat Cat: 22979 . COSPAR: 1994-007B. Apogee: 36,261 km (22,531 mi). Perigee: 449 km (278 mi). Inclination: 28.60 deg. Period: 645.00 min.

  Vehicle Evaluation Payload; monitored H-2 performance. Vehicle Evaluation Payload (VEP) MYOJO. Provides a ranging function as well as functions to measure the acceleration and deformation, in order to confirm the accuracy of the H-II rocket orbit injection and understand the environment of the payload equipme nt. Launch vehicle H-II rocket test flight H-II 1F. Launching organization NASDA. Launch time 2220:00 UT.

• Kiku 6 - . Payload: ETS 6. Mass: 3,800 kg (8,300 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: ETS. USAF Sat Cat: 23230 . COSPAR: 1994-056A. Apogee: 38,677 km (24,032 mi). Perigee: 8,565 km (5,322 mi). Inclination: 13.23 deg. Period: 861.84 min. Failed to reach geostationary orbit; Engineering Test Satellite; partial mission success. Also tested ion engines for NSSK..

• SFU - . Mass: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Materials. Type: Materials science satellite. Spacecraft: SFU. Decay Date: 1996-01-20 . USAF Sat Cat: 23521 . COSPAR: 1995-011A. Apogee: 483 km (300 mi). Perigee: 471 km (292 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 94.10 min. Space Flyer Unit; carried materials, astronomy, biological experiments; retrieved by STS-72 1/20/96..

• Himawari 5 - . Payload: GMS 5. Mass: 746 kg (1,644 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: Himawari. USAF Sat Cat: 23522 . COSPAR: 1995-011B. Apogee: 35,791 km (22,239 mi). Perigee: 35,784 km (22,235 mi). Inclination: 0.60 deg. Period: 1,436.00 min.

  Geostationary Meteorological Satellite; carried search and rescue package. Stationed at 140.2 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 160 deg E in 1995; 140 deg E in 1995-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 139.99 deg E drifting at 0.028 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 45.88E drifting at 3.134W degrees per day.

• ADEOS - . Mass: 135 kg (297 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Earth. Type: Atmosphere satellite. Spacecraft: ADEOS. USAF Sat Cat: 24277 . COSPAR: 1996-046A. Apogee: 800 km (490 mi). Perigee: 799 km (496 mi). Inclination: 98.60 deg. Period: 100.90 min.

• JAS-2 - . Nation: Japan. Agency: JARL. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Fuji. USAF Sat Cat: 24278 . COSPAR: 1996-046B. Apogee: 1,323 km (822 mi). Perigee: 801 km (497 mi). Inclination: 98.60 deg. Period: 106.50 min. Japanese amateur radio satellite..

• TRMM - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Greenbelt. Class: Earth. Type: Atmosphere satellite. Spacecraft: TRMM. Decay Date: 2015-06-16 . USAF Sat Cat: 25063 . COSPAR: 1997-074A. Apogee: 403 km (250 mi). Perigee: 395 km (245 mi). Inclination: 35.00 deg. Period: 92.50 min. TRMM was an international mission dedicated to measuring tropical and subtropical rainfall. The spacecraft and four instruments were provided by the USA, while Japan provided one instrument and launch services..

• Orihime - . Payload: ETS-7 Target. Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Manufacturer: Toshiba. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: ETS. Spacecraft: ETS-7 Target. Decay Date: 1999-01-27 . USAF Sat Cat: 25424 . COSPAR: 1997-074E. Apogee: 458 km (284 mi). Perigee: 346 km (214 mi). Inclination: 34.50 deg. Period: 92.60 min. Attached to Hikoboshi. It would later separate and serve as a passive docking target for the Hikobishi active automatic docking technology spacecraft..

• Hikoboshi - . Payload: ETS-7. Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Manufacturer: Toshiba. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: ETS. Spacecraft: ETS-7. Decay Date: 2015-11-13 . USAF Sat Cat: 25064 . COSPAR: 1997-074B. Apogee: 548 km (340 mi). Perigee: 545 km (338 mi). Inclination: 35.00 deg. Period: 95.50 min.

  The Orihime and Hikoboshi satellites undocked and redocked on July 7 1998 in the FP-1 test of automated docking systems. Despite claims of the NASDA space agency that this is a first, automated Russian craft have docked on many occasions since the Kosmos-186/188 docking in 1968.

• Kakehashi - . Payload: COMETS. Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Manufacturer: NEC, Toshiba. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Kakehashi. USAF Sat Cat: 25175 . COSPAR: 1998-011A. Apogee: 17,727 km (11,015 mi). Perigee: 1,033 km (641 mi). Inclination: 30.10 deg. Period: 328.10 min.

  Kakehashi, meaning 'Bridge', was called Communuications and Broadcasting Experimental Test Satellite (COMETS) before launch. It contained Ka-band communications and inter-satellite data relay payloads. Premature shutdown 44 seconds into the H-II second stage second burn put the satellite into a much lower than planned orbit. The on-board Unified Propulsion System was used to raise it to a more useful orbit.

• MTSAT - . Mass: 2,900 kg (6,300 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Manufacturer: Palo Alto. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: FS-1300.

  Multi-functional Transportation Satellite intended to provide communications and air traffic control for the Japanese transportation ministry and a meteorological data for the Japanese Meteorological Agency. The spacecraft had a mass of 1223 kg dry and was a follow-on to the GMS (Himawari) weather satellite series.

• LRE - . Mass: 3,500 kg (7,700 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Earth. Type: Geodetic satellite. Spacecraft: LRE. USAF Sat Cat: 26898 . COSPAR: 2001-038A. Apogee: 33,306 km (20,695 mi). Perigee: 241 km (149 mi). Inclination: 28.59 deg. Period: 584.29 min.

  Launch postponed from february, July 22 and August 25. First launch of the H-2A launch vehicle. A failure after all of the problems with the earlier H-2 version would probably have resulted in cancellation of the program. The Laser Ranging Experiment satellite carried 126 laser retro reflectors and separated from the second stage at 0739 GMT into its operational 'Molniya' type orbit. The eventual goal of H-2A was to launch geosynchronous spacecraft at costs comparable to those of other countries. The LRE remained in a simulated geosynchronous transfer orbit; laser reflections from it would be used to precisely ascertain the orbital injection accuracy of the H-2A.

• VEP-2 - . Mass: 3,500 kg (7,700 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: VEP. USAF Sat Cat: 26899 . COSPAR: 2001-038B. Apogee: 35,979 km (22,356 mi). Perigee: 291 km (180 mi). Inclination: 28.60 deg. Period: 636.60 min. Vehicle Evaluation Payload-2 consisted of ballast and monitoring instrumentation that remained attached to the launch vehicle's second stage. It included a Doppler ranging experiment for orbit determination..

• MDS-1 - . Mass: 304 kg (670 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: MDS. USAF Sat Cat: 27367 . COSPAR: 2002-003A. Apogee: 35,753 km (22,215 mi). Perigee: 373 km (231 mi). Inclination: 28.30 deg. Period: 633.80 min.

  Technology qualification flight - maiden flight of H-2A booster. Launch delayed from January 31 and February 3. The second stage began its first burn at 0251 UTC and at 0257 UTC entered a 500 km circular parking orbit. After a 12 minute coast the second burn put stage 2 in geostationary transfer orbit. At 0315 UTC the small DASH vehicle was meant to separate from the upper adapter, but this apparently did not occur. At 0325 UTC VEP-3/upper adapter/DASH combination separated from the second stage, followed by two semi-cylindrical side panels, revealing the previously enclosed MDS-1 technology satellite which was ejected at 0331 UTC. At 0425 UTC the second stage was scheduled to make a third burn to test engine restart, completing the H-2A-2F mission.

• DASH - . Mass: 70 kg (154 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: DASH 2002. USAF Sat Cat: 27368 . COSPAR: 2002-003B. Apogee: 35,778 km (22,231 mi). Perigee: 357 km (221 mi). Inclination: 28.30 deg. Period: 634.00 min.

  The VEP-3 launch instrumentation package mounted on top of the DASH had a mass of 33 kg. The side adapter panels were halves of a 4.1m long 4.0m diameter cylinder. DASH (Demonstrator of Atmospheric Reentry System and Hypervelocity) was to test the reentry system for the MUSES-C asteroid probe. The plan was to fire the deorbit motor three days after launch, then separate the reentry capsule which would enter the Earth's atmosphere at 10 km/s and land in the Hodh el Gharbi region of Mauritania at about 8.5W 17.2N. Typical satellite reentries are at only 7.5 km/s, while hyperbolic (escape) velocity at the top of the atmosphere is over 11 km/s, so DASH would have been travelling much faster than typical reentry vehicles, but not quite at escape velocity.

• USERS - . Mass: 1,726 kg (3,805 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Manufacturer: Mitsubishi. Class: Materials. Type: Materials science satellite. Spacecraft: USERS. Decay Date: 2007-06-15 . USAF Sat Cat: 27515 . COSPAR: 2002-042A. Apogee: 508 km (315 mi). Perigee: 497 km (308 mi). Inclination: 30.40 deg. Period: 94.70 min.

  Launch delayed from August 2002. First operational flight of H-2A booster. USERS (Unmanned Space Experiment Recovery System) was a Japanese microgravity experimental satellite. After 8.5 months in orbit, a reentry vehicle was to be returned to earth with the materials manufacturered in space.

• Kodama - . Payload: DRTS-W. Mass: 2,800 kg (6,100 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Manufacturer: Mitsubishi. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: DS2000. USAF Sat Cat: 27516 . COSPAR: 2002-042B. Apogee: 35,804 km (22,247 mi). Perigee: 35,770 km (22,220 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Launch delayed from August 2002. First operational flight of H-2A booster. DRTS (Data Relay Transponder Satellite) was a Japanese geostationary communications spacecraft which was to relay images and data procured by the to-be-launched ADEOS 2 and ALOS satellites, and the KIBO module on ISS, after being parked over 90� E. However the engine failed after a couple of burns. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 90.76E drifting at 0.005W degrees per day.

• Adeos 2 - . Payload: Midori 2. Mass: 3,730 kg (8,220 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Manufacturer: Mitsubishi. Class: Earth. Type: Earth resources satellite. Spacecraft: Adeos. USAF Sat Cat: 27597 . COSPAR: 2002-056A. Apogee: 806 km (500 mi). Perigee: 804 km (499 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 101.00 min. Environment Monitoring, Aeronomy..

• FedSat - . Mass: 58 kg (127 lb). Nation: Australia. Agency: CSS. Manufacturer: CRCSS. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: FedSat. USAF Sat Cat: 27599 . COSPAR: 2002-056C. Apogee: 805 km (500 mi). Perigee: 791 km (491 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 100.80 min.

  FedSat contained high-tech communication, space science, navigation and computing equipment and was intended to help bring broadband Internet services to remote parts of Australia. Data from its three-year mission was to be shared between Japan and Australia.

• WEOS (Kanta Kun) - . Mass: 50 kg (110 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Manufacturer: Chiba. Class: Earth. Type: Earth resources satellite. Spacecraft Bus: WEOS. Spacecraft: WEOS. USAF Sat Cat: 27600 . COSPAR: 2002-056D. Apogee: 804 km (499 mi). Perigee: 789 km (490 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 100.80 min. Ecology, Whale Monitoring satellite for Chiba Institute of Technology, Japan..

• Mu-Labsat - . Mass: 65 kg (143 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: Mu-Labsat. USAF Sat Cat: 27598 . COSPAR: 2002-056B. Apogee: 806 km (500 mi). Perigee: 793 km (492 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 100.90 min.

  Technology. In 2003 the satellite released two tiny subsatellites in an experiment to test an onboard tracking imager for inspector satellites. The RITE (Remote Inspection Technology Experiment) targets are disks about 0.1m in diameter. They were released from Micro-LabSat on 2003 Mar 14 at 0140 UTC and 2003 May 14 at 0150 UTC

• IGS-1a - . Mass: 850 kg (1,870 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: IGS. Decay Date: 2014-07-18 . USAF Sat Cat: 27698 . COSPAR: 2003-009A. Apogee: 495 km (307 mi). Perigee: 483 km (300 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. Period: 94.20 min.

  Optical reconnaisance satellite. First Japanese military space mission. Dual payload. Delayed from February 2003. The Tanegashima facility was under strict security, guarded by 400 police officers wearing bullet-proof vests. Waters near the pad were patrolled by the coast guard.

• IGS-1b - . Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS. Decay Date: 2012-07-26 . USAF Sat Cat: 27699 . COSPAR: 2003-009B. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). Perigee: 489 km (303 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. Period: 94.20 min. Radar satellite..

• IGS-2a - . Mass: 850 kg (1,870 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: IGS. The launch failure meant that Japan's planned intelligence satellite constellation was crippled. The system was already in trouble due to the reported poor performance of the first two elements launched..

• IGS-2b - . Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS.

• Himawari 6 - . Payload: MT-Sat 1R. Mass: 3,300 kg (7,200 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: MLIT. Manufacturer: Palo Alto. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: FS-1300. USAF Sat Cat: 28622 . COSPAR: 2005-006A. Apogee: 35,798 km (22,243 mi). Perigee: 35,778 km (22,231 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min.

  Return to flight after earlier failure; first commercial mission for H-2A. Delayed from August 2003, January 2004, and February 24, 2005. The dual-purpose satellite was to provide weather data for the Japanese Meteorological Agency (as with others in the Himawari-GMS series), and air traffic control support (airplane-ATC voice/data links, GPS augmentation and airplane position tracking) for the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 140.26E drifting at 0.000E degrees per day.

• Daichi - . Payload: ALOS-1. Mass: 3,850 kg (8,480 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: JAXA. Manufacturer: Toshiba. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft: Daichi. USAF Sat Cat: 28931 . COSPAR: 2006-002A. Apogee: 697 km (433 mi). Perigee: 693 km (430 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.70 min. Advanced Land Observing Satellite, which carried an L-band synthetic aperture radar, an optical 2.5-meter resolution mapping camera, and a 10-meter resolution visible/near-infrared radiometer..

• MTSAT-2 - . Payload: MT-Sat 2. Mass: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: MLIT. Manufacturer: Mitsubishi. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: DS2000. USAF Sat Cat: 28937 . COSPAR: 2006-004A. Apogee: 35,803 km (22,246 mi). Perigee: 35,771 km (22,227 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Multifunctional Transport Satellite. An aeronautical payload provided communications relay between aircraft and air traffic control; GPS augmentation navigation for aircraft; and transmitted the location of aircraft to air traffic control. A Japan Advanced Meteorological Imager weather camera had one visible and four infrared channels. MTSAT-2 was built by Mitsubishi using the new DS2000 bus. As of 2007 Mar 8 located at 144.93E drifting at 0.016W degrees per day.

• IGS-3A - . Mass: 850 kg (1,870 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: JIDF. Manufacturer: Melco. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: IGS. Decay Date: 2016-10-29 . USAF Sat Cat: 29393 . COSPAR: 2006-037A. Apogee: 491 km (305 mi). Perigee: 484 km (300 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. Information Gathering Satellite / Optical-2 military surveillance satellite, launched to replace IGS O-1 launched in 2003, which demonstrated technical problems. The first replacement, IGS-O-2, was lost in a launch failure in 2003..

• Kiku 8 - . Payload: ETS-8. Mass: 5,817 kg (12,824 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: JAXA. Manufacturer: Melco. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: DS2000. USAF Sat Cat: 29656 . COSPAR: 2006-059A. Apogee: 35,798 km (22,243 mi). Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Inclination: 0.0500 deg. Period: 1,436.11 min.

  Engineering Test Satellite-8 was a Japanese prototype/operational demonstration for a number of new technologies: a large satellite bus, large-scale deployable 40-m-span antennae, mobile satellite communications system, mobile satellite digital multimedia broadcasting, and basic positioning using high-accuracy time standard devices. It will be positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 146 degrees East. JAXA developed two portable terrestrial systems to communicate directly with the satellite - a tiny telephone and a portable laptop computer. The satellite was to have a lifetime of ten years. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 145.97E drifting at 0.010W degrees per day.

• IGS 2 - . Payload: IGS 4A. Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: CSICE, JAXA. Manufacturer: Melco. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS. Decay Date: 2014-04-13 . USAF Sat Cat: 30586 . COSPAR: 2007-005A. Information Gathering Satellite Radar-2. Japanese military satellite using a synthetic aperture radar for all-weather, 24-hour, high-resolution surveillance of the earth..

• IGS 3V - . Payload: IGS 4B. Mass: 850 kg (1,870 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: CSICE, JAXA. Manufacturer: Melco. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: IGS. Decay Date: 2013-11-12 . USAF Sat Cat: 30587 . COSPAR: 2007-005B.

  Optical-3 Verification Satellite, an experimental satellite on a six-month mission to test payloads planned for the Optical-3 second-generation Japanese military optical surveillance satellite. The production-type Optical-3 satellite was expected to launch in 2009.

• Kaguya - . Payload: Selene. Mass: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Moon. Type: Lunar probe. Spacecraft: Kaguya. Decay Date: 2009-06-10 . USAF Sat Cat: 32054 . COSPAR: 2007-039A.

  Another of a series of new lunar probes to be launched in the next few years by China, India, Japan, USA, and Europe. Selene was dubbed Kaguya, a Japanese moon goddess, after launch. It included an HDTV camera. In lunar orbit two subsatellites would be released to provide continuous communications as well as better characterize the moon's gravity field. By 30 September Kaguya was in a 2243 km x 378,132 km lunar transfer orbit. On 3 October at 21:00 GMT it entered its initial 101 km x 11741 km x 95 deg lunar orbit. It then began maneuvers to enter its operational 100 km circular orbit, releasing the subsatellites on 9 and 12 October.

• Okina - . Payload: Selene. Mass: 45 kg (99 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Moon. Type: Lunar probe. Spacecraft: Kaguya. Decay Date: 2009-02-12 . USAF Sat Cat: 32055 . COSPAR: 2007-039B. The Okina relay satellite was released from Kaguya into a 115 km x 2,399 km lunar orbit at 00:36 GMT on 9 October 2007..

• Ouna - . Payload: Selene. Mass: 45 kg (99 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Moon. Type: Lunar probe. Spacecraft: Kaguya. USAF Sat Cat: 32056 . COSPAR: 2007-039C. The Ouna (VRAD) subsatellite was released from Kaguya into a 127 km x 795 km lunar orbit at 04:28 GMT on 12 October 2007..

• Kizuna - . Payload: WINDS. Mass: 2,700 kg (5,900 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Kizuna. USAF Sat Cat: 32500 . COSPAR: 2008-007A. Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  WINDS, the Wide-band Internetworking Engineering Test and Demonstration Satellite, was designed to demonstrate delivery of high bandwidth Ka-band Internet service to remote areas of Japan and Southeast Asia from geostationary orbit at 143 deg E. Users with a small 45 cm in diameter antenna could receive data at up to 155 Mbps and transmit data at up to 6 Mbps.

• Ibuki - . Payload: GOSAT. Mass: 1,750 kg (3,850 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: JAXA. Manufacturer: Mitsubishi. Class: Earth. Type: Earth resources satellite. Spacecraft: Ibuki. USAF Sat Cat: 33492 . COSPAR: 2009-002A. Apogee: 672 km (417 mi). Perigee: 669 km (415 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 98.20 min. Greenhouse Gas Observing Satellite, renamed Ibuki after launch. The satellite carried a TANSO-FTS IR spectrometer and TANSO-CAI cloud and aerosol imager..

• PRISM - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft: PRISM. USAF Sat Cat: 33493 . COSPAR: 2009-002B. Apogee: 641 km (398 mi). Perigee: 614 km (381 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.30 min. Remote sensing picosatellite built by the University of Tokyo, with a 10-cm aperture Earth imager on a 1-meter deployable boom..

• SDS-1 - . Mass: 100 kg (220 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: JAXA SDS. USAF Sat Cat: 33494 . COSPAR: 2009-002C. Apogee: 668 km (415 mi). Perigee: 663 km (411 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 98.00 min. JAXA Small Demonstration Satellite, a microsatellite with a camera, GPS receiver and sun sensor..

• SOHLA-1 - . Mass: 50 kg (110 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: SOHLA. USAF Sat Cat: 33495 . COSPAR: 2009-002D. Apogee: 667 km (414 mi). Perigee: 654 km (406 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 98.00 min. Satellite built by the Space Oriented Higashi-osaka Leading Association, Osaka, carrying a cloud cover imager..

• SpriteSat - . Mass: 50 kg (110 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Earth. Type: Earth resources satellite. Spacecraft: SpriteSat. USAF Sat Cat: 33496 . COSPAR: 2009-002E. Apogee: 668 km (415 mi). Perigee: 658 km (408 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 98.00 min. Microsatellite stabilized by a gravity gradient boom to study atmospheric sprites, built by by Tohoku University, Sendai..

• Kagayaki - . Mass: 28 kg (61 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: Kagayaki. USAF Sat Cat: 33497 . COSPAR: 2009-002F. Apogee: 670 km (410 mi). Perigee: 668 km (415 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 98.10 min. Technology satellite built by Sorun Corporation, Tokyo, with several technology payloads..

• Kukai - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: Kukai. USAF Sat Cat: 33498 . COSPAR: 2009-002G. Apogee: 667 km (414 mi). Perigee: 647 km (402 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.90 min. Also named STARS, a Kagawa University picosatellite demonstrating a tethered space robot. It consisted of two tethered box-shaped packages, dubbed Ku and Kai..

• KKS 1 - . Mass: 3.00 kg (6.60 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft: KKS. USAF Sat Cat: 33499 . COSPAR: 2009-002H. Apogee: 667 km (414 mi). Perigee: 651 km (404 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.90 min. Picosatellite built by Kouku-kosen, the Tokyo Metropolitan College of Aeronautical Engineering, carrying an Earth imager..

• Kounotori 1 / HTV-1 - . Mass: 16,000 kg (35,000 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: JAXA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-14, Soyuz TMA-15. Spacecraft: HTV. Duration: 53.00 days. Decay Date: 2009-11-02 . USAF Sat Cat: 35817 . COSPAR: 2009-048A. Apogee: 342 km (212 mi). Perigee: 334 km (207 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.30 min.

  First launch of the H-IIB booster and the HTV International Space Station resupply spacecraft. HTV-1 rendezvoused with the ISS on 17 September, stationkeeping 10 m away. It was grappled by the station's Canadarm and berthed to the Harmony port of the station and then unloaded. HTV-1 was unberthed from the ISS at 15:02 GMT on 30 October 2009 and deorbited on 2 November.

• IGS O-3 - . Nation: USA. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: IGS. USAF Sat Cat: 36104 . COSPAR: 2009-066A. Information Gathering Satellite, an optical surveillance satellite operated by Japan's Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center..

• Hayato - . Payload: K-SAT. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. Decay Date: 2010-06-28 . USAF Sat Cat: 36573 . COSPAR: 2010-020A. Apogee: 172 km (106 mi). Perigee: 166 km (103 mi). Inclination: 30.00 deg. Period: 87.90 min. 1U cubesat for Kagoshima University, released in parking orbit. Failed..

• Waseda-SAT2 - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Earth. Type: Earth resources satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. Decay Date: 2010-07-12 . USAF Sat Cat: 36574 . COSPAR: 2010-020B. Apogee: 183 km (113 mi). Perigee: 177 km (109 mi). Inclination: 30.00 deg. Period: 88.10 min. 1U cubesat for Waseda University, Tokyo, released in parking orbit. Status unclear..

• Negai - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Earth. Type: Earth resources satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. Decay Date: 2010-06-26 . USAF Sat Cat: 36575 . COSPAR: 2010-020C. Apogee: 190 km (110 mi). Perigee: 176 km (109 mi). Inclination: 30.00 deg. Period: 88.20 min. 1U cubesat for Soka University, Tokyo, released in parking orbit. Successful,.

• Akatsuki - . Payload: Planet-C. Mass: 320 kg (700 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Venus. Type: Venus probe. Spacecraft: Akatsuki. USAF Sat Cat: 36576 . COSPAR: 2010-020D. Venus-orbiting weather satellite with visible, infrared and ultraviolet cameras. Reached Venus on 6 December 2010 but the main engine malfunctioned, preventing the braking burn into Venus orbit. The spacecraft sailed past Venus into solar orbit..

• Ikaros - . Mass: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Technology. Type: Solar sail technology satellite. Spacecraft: Ikaros. USAF Sat Cat: 36577 . COSPAR: 2010-020E.

  Solar sail test vehicle. Released in solar orbit 0.72 AU x 1.07 AU x 2.0 deg. Deployed sail by 11 June, and acceleration due to the pressure of the light from the sun was as expected. Flyby of Venus at 80,000 km distance at 07:39 GMT on 8 December 2010 returned images of sail with crescent Vensu in the background.

• Unitec-1 - . Payload: Shinen. Mass: 16 kg (35 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: Unitec. USAF Sat Cat: 36578 . COSPAR: 2010-020F. Space qualification of university-built computers. Released in solar orbit 0.72 AU x 1.07 AU x 2.0 deg..

• Michibiki - . Payload: QZS-1. Mass: 4,100 kg (9,000 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: DS2000. USAF Sat Cat: 37158 . COSPAR: 2010-045A. Apogee: 38,944 km (24,198 mi). Perigee: 32,632 km (20,276 mi). Inclination: 40.90 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min.

  Quasi-Zenith Satellite System; carried an L-band navigation package to augment GPS and a C-band transponder for communications. Placed in an inclined geosynchronous orbit that brings nearly overhead of Japan at peak usage hours, providing a better navigation and communications signal to users which normally would have equatorial geosynchronous satellite and medium-earth-orbit navigation satellite signals interfered with by tall buildings or steep canyons.

• Kounotori 2 / HTV-2 - . Mass: 16,000 kg (35,000 lb). Nation: Japan. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-01M, Soyuz TMA-20. Spacecraft: HTV. Duration: 67.00 days. Decay Date: 2011-03-30 . USAF Sat Cat: 37351 . COSPAR: 2011-003A. Apogee: 355 km (220 mi). Perigee: 350 km (210 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.60 min.

  Second Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle, delivering equipment and supplies to the International Space Station. Detached from the station by the station's robot arm and released into space on 28 March at 15:46 GMT. Following retrofire burned up over the Pacific Ocean on 30 March at 03:09 GMT on 30 March.

• IGS 6A - . Mass: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: IGS. USAF Sat Cat: 37813 . COSPAR: 2011-050A. IGS Optical-4 satellite to replenish Japan's military reconnaisance satellite constellation..

• IGS 7A - . Mass: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS. USAF Sat Cat: 37954 . COSPAR: 2011-075A. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 97.00 deg. Military surveillance radarsat..

• Shizuku - . Mass: 1,991 kg (4,389 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Earth. Type: Climate satellite. Spacecraft: Shizuku. USAF Sat Cat: 38337 . COSPAR: 2012-025A. Apogee: 694 km (431 mi). Perigee: 692 km (429 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.60 min. Global Change Observation Mission. Primary instrument was the AMS-4 microwave scanning radiometer..

• Arirang-3 - . Payload: Kompsat-3. Mass: 800 kg (1,760 lb). Nation: Korea South. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: T200. Spacecraft: Kompsat. USAF Sat Cat: 38338 . COSPAR: 2012-025B. Apogee: 677 km (420 mi). Perigee: 665 km (413 mi). Inclination: 98.10 deg. Period: 98.20 min. South Korean imaging satellite..

• SDS-4 - . Mass: 50 kg (110 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: JAXA SDS. USAF Sat Cat: 38339 . COSPAR: 2012-025C. Apogee: 673 km (418 mi). Perigee: 662 km (411 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.10 min. Small Demonstration Satellite; carried four technology experiments including a space-based AIS (ship tracking) payload..

• Horyu-2 - . Mass: 7.00 kg (15.40 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: Horyu. USAF Sat Cat: 38340 . COSPAR: 2012-025D. Apogee: 671 km (416 mi). Perigee: 652 km (405 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.00 min. Kyushu Institute of Technology satellite to study spacecraft charging effects and test a camera payload for Surrey Satellite (which observed the second stage after payload deployment to support development of improved propellant insulation)..

• Kounotori 3 / HTV-3 - . Mass: 19,000 kg (41,000 lb). Nation: Japan. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Spacecraft: HTV. Duration: 55.00 days. Decay Date: 2012-09-14 . USAF Sat Cat: 38706 . COSPAR: 2012-038A. Apogee: 421 km (261 mi). Perigee: 399 km (247 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 92.80 min.

  Arrived at the ISS on 27 July. Grappled by the station's Canadarm and berthed to the ISS Harmony module at 14:34 GMT. Unberthed by the SSRMS arm of the ISS at about 12:02 GMT on 12 September and released into space at 1550 GMT. After one of HTV-3's onboard computers failed, a planned small separation burn was replaced by a much larger abort burn which safely and rapidly separated HTV-3 from the vicinity of the ISS. HTV-3 was successfully deorbited over the Pacific on 14 September.

• IGS 8A - . Payload: JSE Reda-4. Mass: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS. USAF Sat Cat: 39061 . COSPAR: 2013-002A. Apogee: 524 km (325 mi). Perigee: 512 km (318 mi). Inclination: 97.50 deg. Period: 94.90 min. IGS military radar satellite 4, with a synthetic aperture radar payload..

• IGS 8B (DEMO) - . Payload: Jissho eisei. Mass: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: IGS. USAF Sat Cat: 39062 . COSPAR: 2013-002B. Apogee: 524 km (325 mi). Perigee: 512 km (318 mi). Inclination: 97.50 deg. Period: 94.98 min. Demonstration satellite, with a test optical imaging payload..

• Konoutori 4 / HTV-4 - . Mass: 16,000 kg (35,000 lb). Nation: Japan. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Spacecraft: HTV. Duration: 35.00 days. Decay Date: 2013-09-07 . USAF Sat Cat: 39221 . COSPAR: 2013-040A. Apogee: 408 km (253 mi). Perigee: 189 km (117 mi). Inclination: 51.65 deg. Period: 90.48 min.

  Fourth Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle mission to the ISS. Carried on its external pallet the Space Test Program H4 package to be installed on ELC1 (around 400 kg), a spare Main Bus Switching Unit for ELC2 (100 kg), and a spare SARJ Utility Transfer Assembly for ELC4 (around 300 kg). The pressurized cargo was packaged in 8 HTV Resupply Racks and included the FROST freezer, the Kirobo robot, NASA's RRM Task Board 3 robotics experiment, and two J-SSOD cubesat launchers. The J-SSODs were later taken outside via the Kibo science airlock ejected five cubesats. HTV 4 reached the ISS on 9 Auguest, holding 10 metres off the Station until the Canadarm-2 robot arm captured it at 11:22 GMT. The arm berthed the module on the Harmony node at 15:28 GMT. The hatch to the pressurized cabin of the HTV was opened at 11:11 GMT on 10 August. On 11 August at 21:07 GMT the Canadarm removed the Exposed Pallet (EP) from the HTV, and at 03:59 GMT 12 August the EP was installed on the end of the Kibo Exposed Facility pallet. The equipment on the EP will be relocated to the ELC pallets on the truss using the Japanese and Canadian robot arms. After completing operations, it was unberthed from Harmony at 12:07 GMT on 4 September and released by the Canadarm at 16:20 GMT. After several maneuvers, final retrofire was over Japan at 06:11 GMT on 7 September, with burnup over the South Pacific at around 41 deg S at 06:37 GMT.

• Ginrei - . Payload: SHINDAISAT. Mass: 33 kg (72 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: Ginrei. Decay Date: 2014-11-24 . USAF Sat Cat: 39572 . COSPAR: 2014-009A. Apogee: 371 km (230 mi). Perigee: 348 km (216 mi). Inclination: 65.01 deg. Period: 91.73 min. Microsatellite from Shinshu University to study use of LED's for long-distance communication..

• Hayato-2 - . Payload: ITF 1. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. Decay Date: 2014-06-29 . USAF Sat Cat: 39573 . COSPAR: 2014-009B. Apogee: 256 km (159 mi). Perigee: 233 km (144 mi). Inclination: 65.00 deg. Period: 89.40 min. Cubesat from Tsukuba University..

• GPM-C - . Mass: 3,850 kg (8,480 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Earth. Type: Climate Satellite. Spacecraft: GPM. USAF Sat Cat: 39574 . COSPAR: 2014-009C. Apogee: 405 km (251 mi). Perigee: 392 km (243 mi). Inclination: 65.02 deg. Period: 92.53 min.

  Joint US-Japanese Global Precipitation Measurement satellite; carried the JAXA/NICT/NEC Toshiba Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar and the GSFC/Ball GPM Microwave Imager. The satellite was built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and registered as a US satellite.

• OPUSat - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. Decay Date: 2014-07-24 . USAF Sat Cat: 39575 . COSPAR: 2014-009D. Apogee: 310 km (190 mi). Perigee: 288 km (178 mi). Inclination: 65.00 deg. Period: 90.50 min. 1U cubesat from Osaka Prefectural University. Technology mission..

• Teikyosat-3 - . Mass: 22 kg (48 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Biology. Type: Biology satellite. Spacecraft: Teikyosat. Decay Date: 2014-10-25 . USAF Sat Cat: 39576 . COSPAR: 2014-009E. Apogee: 359 km (223 mi). Perigee: 338 km (210 mi). Inclination: 65.01 deg. Period: 91.51 min. Microsatellite from Teikyo University..

• Invader - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. Decay Date: 2014-09-02 . USAF Sat Cat: 39577 . COSPAR: 2014-009F. Apogee: 336 km (208 mi). Perigee: 315 km (195 mi). Inclination: 65.01 deg. Period: 91.04 min. Cubesat from Tama Art University..

• STARS-2 - . Mass: 22 kg (48 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: STARS-2. Decay Date: 2014-05-18 . USAF Sat Cat: 39578 . COSPAR: 2014-009G. Apogee: 178 km (110 mi). Perigee: 164 km (101 mi). Inclination: 64.97 deg. Period: 87.91 min. Microsatellite from Kagawa University. Composed of two sections and a tether, deployed length 300 metres. Believed to have succeeded based on later orbital decay rate..

• Yui - . Payload: K-SAT2. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Education satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. Decay Date: 2014-04-26 . USAF Sat Cat: 39579 . COSPAR: 2014-009H. Apogee: 162 km (100 mi). Perigee: 145 km (90 mi). Inclination: 64.99 deg. Period: 87.56 min. Cubesat from Kagoshima University..

• Daichi-2 - . Payload: ALOS 2. Mass: 2,120 kg (4,670 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft Bus: Daichi. Spacecraft: Daichi-2. USAF Sat Cat: 39766 . COSPAR: 2014-029A. Apogee: 632 km (392 mi). Perigee: 630 km (390 mi). Inclination: 97.92 deg. Period: 97.33 min. Advanced Land Observing Satellite 2, placed in a noon/midnight sun-synchronous orbit. Carried the PALSAR-2 radar imager with 1 to 3 meter resolution in spotlight mode and 3 to 10 m in high resolution mode..

• UNIFORM-1 - . Mass: 50 kg (110 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Earth. Type: Disaster monitoring satellite. Spacecraft: UNIFORM. USAF Sat Cat: 39767 . COSPAR: 2014-029B. Apogee: 629 km (390 mi). Perigee: 622 km (386 mi). Inclination: 97.87 deg. Period: 97.22 min. Microsatellite for Wakayama University, carrying a 10-12 micron IR microbolometer array for wildfire monitoring..

• SOCRATES - . Mass: 50 kg (110 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Communications. Type: Laser communications satellite. Spacecraft: SOCRATES. USAF Sat Cat: 39768 . COSPAR: 2014-029C. Apogee: 627 km (389 mi). Perigee: 619 km (384 mi). Inclination: 97.87 deg. Period: 97.17 min. Microsatellite for the Japanese communications research lab NICT, with a laser communications experiment..

• Raijin-2 - . Payload: RISING 2. Mass: 50 kg (110 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Science. Type: Science satellite. Spacecraft: Raijin. USAF Sat Cat: 39769 . COSPAR: 2014-029D. Apogee: 630 km (390 mi). Perigee: 626 km (388 mi). Inclination: 97.88 deg. Period: 97.26 min. Microsatellite for Tohoku University mission for studies of lightning with visible and mid-IR imagers and a VLF receiver..

• SPROUT - . Mass: 7.00 kg (15.40 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: SPROUT. USAF Sat Cat: 39770 . COSPAR: 2014-029E. Apogee: 627 km (389 mi). Perigee: 615 km (382 mi). Inclination: 97.87 deg. Period: 97.13 min. Microsatellite with a Nihon University experiment to deploy a 1.5m inflatable triangular membrane..

• Himawari-8 - . Mass: 3,500 kg (7,700 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: DS2000. USAF Sat Cat: 40267 . COSPAR: 2014-060A. Apogee: 35,791 km (22,239 mi). Perigee: 35,782 km (22,233 mi). Inclination: 0.0200 deg. Period: 1,436.08 min. Japan Meteorological Agency weather satellite. Stationed in geosynchronous orbit at 141 deg east..

• Hayabusa-2 - . Mass: 590 kg (1,300 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Astronomy. Type: Space probe. Spacecraft: Hayabusa. USAF Sat Cat: 40319 . COSPAR: 2014-076A. Apogee: -50,912 km (-50,912 mi). Perigee: 245 km (152 mi). Inclination: 29.90 deg.

  The spacecraft was intended to rendezvous with asteroid 1999 JU3, survey it from orbit, touch down briefly to sample the surface, and return samples to Earth. Launched into a 0.915 AU x 1.089 AU x 6.8 deg solar orbit. Five small, beanbag-like 'target markers' could be ejected onto the surface in advance to help guide the vehicle. Hayabusa-2 also carried three 1 kg class lander/hopper devices, Minerva II-1a, II-1b and II-2, which were to be ejected onto the surface, together with a 10 kg German-built lander called MASCOT. Hayabusa-2 was also to eject a 'Self-Contained Impactor' (SCI) device onto the surface. As the parent spacecraft moved off to the side it would further eject the DCAM-3 camera subsatellite, which would monitor detonation of SCI's high explosive, intended to ram the SCI's body into the asteroid and generate an artificial crater.

• Shin'en-2 - . Mass: 15 kg (33 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Communications technology satellite. Spacecraft: Shin'en. USAF Sat Cat: 40320 . COSPAR: 2014-076B. Apogee: -50,912 km (-50,912 mi). Perigee: 245 km (152 mi). Inclination: 29.90 deg. Communications payload designed to demonstrate deep space communications with a small spacecraft from a 0.915 AU x 1.089 AU x 6.8 deg solar orbit..

• DESPATCH - . Mass: 32 kg (70 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Art satellite. Spacecraft: DESPATCH. USAF Sat Cat: 40321 . COSPAR: 2014-076C. Apogee: -50,912 km (-50,912 mi). Perigee: 245 km (152 mi). Inclination: 29.90 deg.

  Also known as ArtSat-2; from Tama Art University. The yellowish, tapered-helix assembly was intended mainly as a work of art although it also carries an amateur radio communications payload with a limited range. In a 0.915 AU x 1.089 AU x 6.8 deg solar orbit.

• PROCYON - . Mass: 59 kg (130 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Astronomy. Type: Space probe. USAF Sat Cat: 40322 . COSPAR: 2014-076D. Apogee: -50,912 km (-50,912 mi). Perigee: 245 km (152 mi). Inclination: 29.90 deg.

  Small spacecraft experiment to test interplanetary navigation with an ion engine. As of May 2015 the mission plan to perform an Earth swingby followed by flyby of asteroid 2000 DP107 had been abandoned following malfunction of its ion engine. The probe, in solar orbit, continued to make scientific measurements with its ultraviolet camera. Procyon was originally in a 0.9 x 1.1 AU x 6.8 deg solar orbit.

• MASCOT - . Nation: Japan. Spacecraft: MASCOT. COSPAR: 2014-076. Attached to Hayabusa-2.

• Minerva II-1a - . Nation: Japan. Spacecraft: Minerva II. COSPAR: 2014-076. Attached to Hayabusa-2.

• Minerva II-1b - . Nation: Japan. Spacecraft: Minerva II. COSPAR: 2014-076. Attached to Hayabusa-2.

• Minerva II-2 - . Nation: Japan. Spacecraft: Minerva II. COSPAR: 2014-076. Attached to Hayabusa-2.

• SCI - . Nation: Japan. Spacecraft: Hayabusa. COSPAR: 2014-076. Attached to Hayabusa-2.

• DCAM-3 - . Nation: Japan. Spacecraft: DCAM. COSPAR: 2014-076. Attached to Hayabusa-2.

• Target Marker 1 - . Nation: Japan. Spacecraft: Target Marker. COSPAR: 2014-076. Attached to Hayabusa-2.

• Target Marker 2 - . Nation: Japan. Spacecraft: Target Marker. COSPAR: 2014-076. Attached to Hayabusa-2.

• Target Marker 3 - . Nation: Japan. Spacecraft: Target Marker. COSPAR: 2014-076. Attached to Hayabusa-2.

• Target Marker 4 - . Nation: Japan. Spacecraft: Target Marker. COSPAR: 2014-076. Attached to Hayabusa-2.

• Target Marker 5 - . Nation: Japan. Spacecraft: Target Marker. COSPAR: 2014-076. Attached to Hayabusa-2.

• IGS Radar Spare - . Mass: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS. USAF Sat Cat: 40381 . COSPAR: 2015-004A. Apogee: 511 km (317 mi). Perigee: 490 km (300 mi). Inclination: 97.50 deg. The Radar Spare satellite (Reda Yobiki) in the Information Gathering Satellite (Joho Shushu Eisei) series were operated by Japan's Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center..

• IGS Optical 5 - . Mass: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Nation: Japan. Class: Surveillance. Type: Surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: IGS. USAF Sat Cat: 40538 . COSPAR: 2015-015A. Apogee: 515 km (320 mi). Perigee: 511 km (317 mi). Inclination: 97.50 deg. Information Gathering Satellite Optical-5. Military optical surveillance satellite operated by the Japanese government. Sun synchronous orbit; 1015 GMT local time of the descending node..

• Kounotori 5 / HTV-5 - . Mass: 16,500 kg (36,300 lb). Nation: Japan. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Spacecraft: HTV. Decay Date: 2015-09-29 . USAF Sat Cat: 40873 . COSPAR: 2015-038A. Apogee: 401 km (249 mi). Perigee: 399 km (247 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg.

  HTV-5 arrived at the ISS on 24 August and was berthed at the Harmony nadir port at 14:02 GMT. HTV-5's External Platform carries the CALET electron/cosmic-ray detector which was installed on the Kibo Exposed Facility. The pressurized compartment carried nine racks: the US Galley Rack, to be installed in the Unity node; the JAXA Multipurpose Small Payload Rack 2 (MSPR-2), installed in Kibo at JPM1F2; and seven HTV Resupply Racks. One of these used the new HRR-D storage system to increase the HTV capacity. Contained in the HRRs were a SAFER EVA backpack, a Mouse Habitat Unit (but no mice for it), 18 cubesats, the Nanoracks External Platform (NREP) and JAXA ExHAM-2 expsoure unit. The latter two were used for mounting external experiments. The cubesats were: PlanetLabs Flock 2b-1 to 2b-14, for Earth imaging; GOMSpace GOMX-3, for tests of ADS-B aircraft data relay; Aalborg University AAUSAT-5, a 1U sat for tests of AIS ship tracking receivers; Brazilian Space Agency/University of Brasilia SERPENS with technology communications payloads; Chiba Inst. Of Technology S-CUBE with UV and visible imagers to observe meteors from above. All the cubesats are 3U form factor except for AAUSAT-5. CALET had a mass of 650 kg; the 7 HRR racks carried 6057 kg of cargo. HTV-5 carried 2306 kg of propellant. The Galley and MSPR racks probably had a mass around 500 kg each; the dry HTV without payloads was about 6100 kg. On 25 August the SSRMS robot arm extracted the HTV Exposed Pallet and handed it to the JEM RMS, which berthed the EP on the Exposed Facility at location EFU10. The JEM RMS then grappled the CALET experiment and moved it to EFU9. The SSRMS arm unberthed the HTV-5 from the Harmony module at 11:12 GMT on 28 September. Release was delayed one orbit due to a robotics problem and occurred at 16:53 GMT. The next day HTV-5 lowered its orbit with two burns and then made a final deorbit burn at 20:08 GMT, with atmosphere entry around 20:33 GMT for destruction over the South Pacific.

• Telstar 12V - . Nation: Japan. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft: Eurostar 3000. USAF Sat Cat: 41036 . COSPAR: 2015-068A. Apogee: 35,637 km (22,143 mi). Perigee: 3,140 km (1,950 mi). Inclination: 19.20 deg.

  Telesat of Canada's Telstar 12 Vantage comms satellite launched to geotransfer orbit in the first commercial launch of Japan's H-IIA rocket and the first use of an uprated LOX/LH2 upper stage modified for a long coast to a third burn at geotransfer apogee. The stage venting was visible to observers in the USA. Telstar 12 Vantage replaces Telstar 12 and provides Ku-band capacity to the Americas.

• Hitomi - . Payload: ASTRO-H. Nation: Japan. Class: Astronomy. Type: X-ray astronomy satellite. USAF Sat Cat: 41337 . COSPAR: 2016-012A. Apogee: 580 km (360 mi). Perigee: 565 km (351 mi). Inclination: 31.00 deg.

  ASTRO-H X-ray astronomy observatory rode H2A No. 30 to a low Earth orbit. It carried an array of five X-ray telescopes. Hitomi suffered a major anomaly on Mar 25 while observing the quasar Markarian 205. At 1910 UTC the satellite started tumbling and then at 0140 UTC Mar 26 the spacecraft partly disintegrated. US tracking found eleven debris objects in orbit. During the next scheduled pass at 0740 UTC, JAXA received only a short burst from the radio beacon and nothing more; three more such beacon detections were obtained up to Mar 28, when the spacecraft fell silent. Ground-based optical observations showed that at least two of the debris objects, 2016-012A and 012L, were bright and tumbling several times a minute. 2016-012A was probably the main spacecraft bus. It's possible that 2016-012L was the extensible optical bench with the HXI cameras, or part of the solar panels.

• Kinshachi-2 - . Nation: Japan. Class: Surveillance. Type: Surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: ChubuSat. USAF Sat Cat: 41338 . COSPAR: 2016-012B. Apogee: 579 km (359 mi). Perigee: 559 km (347 mi). Inclination: 31.00 deg.

• Kinshachi-3 - . Nation: Japan. Class: Science. Type: Science satellite. Spacecraft: ChubuSat. USAF Sat Cat: 41339 . COSPAR: 2016-012C. Apogee: 578 km (359 mi). Perigee: 558 km (346 mi). Inclination: 31.00 deg.

• Horyu-4 - . Nation: Japan. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. USAF Sat Cat: 41340 . COSPAR: 2016-012D. Apogee: 578 km (359 mi). Perigee: 557 km (346 mi). Inclination: 31.00 deg.

• Himawari 9 - . Nation: Japan. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: DS2000. USAF Sat Cat: 41836 . COSPAR: 2016-064A. Apogee: 35,857 km (22,280 mi). Perigee: 243 km (150 mi). Inclination: 22.40 deg. Himawari 9 weather satellite was launched to geotransfer orbit by H-IIA-31. By Nov 8 the satellite was on station in GEO at 140.8E..

• Kounotori 6 / HTV-5 - . Mass: 16,000 kg (35,000 lb). Nation: Japan. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Spacecraft: HTV. Decay Date: 2017-02-05 . USAF Sat Cat: 41881 . COSPAR: 2016-076A. Apogee: 302 km (187 mi). Perigee: 276 km (171 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg.

  16-tonne Japanese HTV-6 (Kounotori-6) cargo ship. The pressurized module contains 600 kg of water and 2152 kg of dry cargo. This included two JAXA J-SSOD and one Nanoracks NRCSD-10 cubesat deployers; these were to be transferred to the Kibo module. The HTV also has an Exposed Pallet, which on this mission (using the enhanced capacity EP6B+) carried a set of replacement batteries for the ISS truss, with a total cargo mass of 1367 kg. The S4, S6, P4 and P6 truss segments each contain an Integrated Electronics Assembly (IEA), with 12 Ni-H2 batteries apiece in separate ORUs (Orbital Replacement Units). On this mission the S4 batteries are to be replaced. Six new 197 kg Li-ion battery ORUs were to be installed and six of the 166 kg Ni-H2 battery ORUs were to be transferred to the HTV EP for disposal on reentry. The remaining six Ni-H2 ORUs remained on S4, but they were taken off line and new 29 kg Adapter Plate ORUs were to be installed between them and the truss. On Dec 14 the Exposed Pallet was grappled by the Canadarm-2, pulled out of HTV-6 and attached to the Mobile Base System on the ISS truss. On Dec 15-16 the J-SSOD #5 was moved to the Kibo module's airlock. On Dec 19 the Japanese RMS arm took the MPEP platform, with J-SSOD attached, out of the airlock and the STARS-C cubesat was ejected from it at 0855 UTC. On Dec 27 J-SSOD #6 was installed in the airlock with its sats to be deployed in January. Japan's HTV 6 cargo ship separated from ISS on Jan 27 at 1546 UTC. However, its KITE tether experiment failed to deploy when commanded to do so on Jan 28. HTV 6 was deorbited on Feb 5 at 1442 UTC and entered the atmosphere over the South Pacific at 1506 UTC.

• Kirameki-2 - . Payload: DSN-2. Nation: Japan. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. USAF Sat Cat: 41940 . COSPAR: 2017-005A. Apogee: 35,860 km (22,280 mi). Perigee: 250 km (150 mi). Inclination: 22.00 deg.

  See DSN 2 (Kirameki 2). Satellite for the DSN Corporation, a Sky Perfect JSAT / NEC / NTT /Maeda consortium, to provide an X-band military communications satellite for the Japanese Defense Ministry. DSN 2 (Kirameki 2) was their first satellite, based on the Mitsubishi Electric DS-2000 bus.

• IGS Radar 5 - . Nation: Japan. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS. USAF Sat Cat: 42072 . COSPAR: 2017-015A. Apogee: 510 km (310 mi). Perigee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 97.50 deg. See IGS-Radar 5. Japan launched the Joho shushu eisei Reda 5-goki (IGS Radar 5) spy satellite into polar orbit..

• Michibiki-2 - . Payload: QZSS 2; QZS-2. Nation: Japan. USAF Sat Cat: 42738 . COSPAR: 2017-028A. Apogee: 38,937 km (24,194 mi). Perigee: 32,634 km (20,277 mi). Inclination: 43.82 deg. Period: 1,436.06 min. See QZS 2 (Michibiki 2). ..

• Michibiki-3 - . Payload: QZSS 3; QZS-3. Nation: Japan. USAF Sat Cat: 42917 . COSPAR: 2017-048A. Apogee: 35,793 km (22,240 mi). Perigee: 35,781 km (22,233 mi). Inclination: 0.0600 deg. Period: 1,436.13 min. See QZS 3 (Michibiki 3). ..

• Michibiki-4 - . Payload: QZSS 4; QZS-4. Nation: Japan. USAF Sat Cat: 42965 . COSPAR: 2017-062A. Apogee: 38,943 km (24,198 mi). Perigee: 32,614 km (20,265 mi). Inclination: 40.71 deg. Period: 1,435.68 min. See QZS 4 (Michibiki 4). ..

• Shikisai - . Payload: GCOM-C. Nation: Japan. USAF Sat Cat: 43065 . COSPAR: 2017-082A. Apogee: 801 km (497 mi). Perigee: 800 km (490 mi). Inclination: 98.64 deg. Period: 100.89 min. See GCOM-C (Shikisai). ..

• Tsubame - . Payload: SLATS. Nation: Japan. USAF Sat Cat: 43066 . COSPAR: 2017-082B. Apogee: 295 km (183 mi). Perigee: 294 km (182 mi). Inclination: 98.31 deg. Period: 90.41 min. See SLATS (Tsubame). ..

• JSE kougaku 6 gouki - . Payload: IGS Optical-6; IGS O-6. Nation: Japan. USAF Sat Cat: 43223 . COSPAR: 2018-021A. See IGS-Optical 6. ..

• JSE reda-6 gouki - . Payload: IGS Radar-6; IGS R-6. Nation: Japan. USAF Sat Cat: 43495 . COSPAR: 2018-052A. See IGS-Radar 6. ..

• Kounotori 7 gouki - . Payload: HTV 6; HTV-7. Nation: Japan. USAF Sat Cat: 43630 . COSPAR: 2018-073A. Apogee: 388 km (241 mi). Perigee: 377 km (234 mi). Inclination: 51.64 deg. Period: 92.20 min. See HTV 7 (Kounotori 7). ..

• HSRC - . Payload: HTV Small Reentry Capsule. COSPAR: 2018-073. Additional Details: here....

• Tenryu - . Payload: STARS-Me. Nation: TBD. USAF Sat Cat: 43638 . COSPAR: 1998-067PN. Apogee: 401 km (249 mi). Perigee: 398 km (247 mi). Inclination: 51.64 deg. Period: 92.55 min. See STARS-Me ↑. ..

• SPATIUM-I - . Nation: TBD. USAF Sat Cat: 43639 . COSPAR: 1998-067PP. Apogee: 401 km (249 mi). Perigee: 394 km (244 mi). Inclination: 51.64 deg. Period: 92.51 min. See SPATIUM 1 ↑. ..

• RSP-00 - . Nation: TBD. USAF Sat Cat: 43640 . COSPAR: 1998-067PQ. Apogee: 402 km (249 mi). Perigee: 395 km (245 mi). Inclination: 51.64 deg. Period: 92.53 min. See RSP 00 ↑. ..

• STARS-Me Koki - . Payload: STARS-Me. COSPAR: 1998-067. See STARS-Me ↑. ..

• STARS-Me Climber - . COSPAR: 1998-067xx. See STARS-Me ↑. ..

• Ten-Koh - . Payload: LEO Environments Obs Sat; TENKOU. Nation: Japan. USAF Sat Cat: 43671 . COSPAR: 2018-084A. Apogee: 577 km (358 mi). Perigee: 540 km (330 mi). Inclination: 97.82 deg. Period: 95.83 min. See Ten-Koh. ..

• Ibuki 2 - . Payload: GOSAT 2. Nation: Japan. USAF Sat Cat: 43672 . COSPAR: 2018-084B. Apogee: 617 km (383 mi). Perigee: 615 km (382 mi). Inclination: 97.83 deg. Period: 97.02 min. See GOSAT 2 (Ibuki 2). ..

• KhalifaSat - . Nation: UAE. USAF Sat Cat: 43676 . COSPAR: 2018-084F. Apogee: 613 km (380 mi). Perigee: 591 km (367 mi). Inclination: 97.83 deg. Period: 96.73 min. See KhalifaSat. ..

• Diwata-2B - . Nation: Philippines. USAF Sat Cat: 43678 . COSPAR: 2018-084H. Apogee: 601 km (373 mi). Perigee: 586 km (364 mi). Inclination: 97.84 deg. Period: 96.55 min. See Diwata 2B. ..

• AUTCube-2 - . Nation: Japan. USAF Sat Cat: 43679 . COSPAR: 2018-084J. Apogee: 599 km (372 mi). Perigee: 585 km (363 mi). Inclination: 97.84 deg. Period: 96.52 min. See AUTcube 2 (Gamacube). ..

• Aoi - . Payload: STARS-AO. Nation: TBD. USAF Sat Cat: 43681 . COSPAR: 2018-084K. Apogee: 600 km (370 mi). Perigee: 586 km (364 mi). Inclination: 97.84 deg. Period: 96.54 min. See STARS-AO (Aoi). ..