OICETS

Optical Inter-orbit Communications Engineering Test Satellite
Names OICETS, Kirari
Mission type Technology demonstration
Operator JAXA
COSPAR ID 2005-031A
SATCAT no. 28809
Website global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/oicets/index.html
Mission duration Planned: 1 year
Final: 4 years, 1 month
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer Toshiba
Launch mass 570 kg (1,260 lb)
Dimensions 0.78 × 1.1 × 1.5 m (2.6 × 3.6 × 4.9 ft)
Start of mission
Launch date 23 August 2005, 21:10 (2005-08-23UTC21:10) UTC[1]
Rocket Dnepr[2]
Launch site Baikonur Pad 109/95[2]
End of mission
Disposal Decommissioned
Deactivated 24 September 2009, 05:48 (2009-09-24UTC05:49) UTC[3]
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Eccentricity 0.00107
Perigee 597 km (371 mi)
Apogee 612 km (380 mi)
Inclination 97.8°
Period 96.8 minutes
Epoch 23 August 2005, 17:10:00 UTC[1]

The Optical Inter-orbit Communications Engineering Test Satellite (OICETS), also called Kirari, is an experimental satellite launched by JAXA to demonstrate interorbital communication between satellites through optical (laser) means. OICETS was originally slated for a launch on the second J-I launcher. Due to problems with this launcher, the launch had to be put on hold. Using the H-IIA was out of question: it would be overkill to use this model to send a 570 kilograms (1,260 lb) satellite into low Earth orbit, and there was no budget for another H-IIA launch. Finally, in order to be able to perform the tests during the lifetime of the European Artemis satellite, OICETS was successfully launched on a Dnepr rocket.

The satellite was decommissioned and its mission terminated on 24 September 2009 at 05:48 UTC.[3]

Achievements

  • On 9 December 2005, JAXA succeeded in establishing optical links between OICETS and Artemis.
  • During March 2006, a successful link between OICETS and a ground station in Japan was established. This was the first optical links connection between a fixed ground station and an LEO satellite.
  • On 7 June 2006, JAXA established a communication link between OICETS and a mobile ground station operated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

Notes

  1. 1 2 "OICETS - Trajectory Details". National Space Science Data Center. NASA. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Kirari". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Kirari: Signals stopped; successful operation ends". JAXA. 24 September 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2017.


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