Abstract
Micro satellite research and development is valuable mainly for the following reasons: (1) practical education of spacesystem engineering and human resource development, (2) rapid demonstration in space of advanced technologies at component and equipment level, (3) implementation of science missions and actual application missions by ultra-small satellite (constellation), (4) discovery and development of new space engineering and high-value-added business fields. As a practical demonstration under laboratory-student leadership, Matunaga Lab at Tokyo Tech, now at ISAS/JAXA has been developed nanosatellites including World first CubeSat CUTE-I, Cute-1.7 + APD, and Cute-1.7 + APD II, which were all launched into Earth orbit and operated. Now，a 50kg-class satellite named TSUBAME is researched and developed to observe earth and celestial bodies in cooperation with several Japanese university laboratories and students. This introduces the nanosatellite activities of Matunaga Lab.
