Orbital Experiment of Nano-satellite "HIT-SAT" as a Sub-payload of M-V Rocket

Abstract

A small satellite named Hokkaido Satellite “TAIKI” has been designed by NPO Frontier Incubation center for space applications and intellectual activities in Hokkaido. The missions of TAIKI are an agricultural remote sensing using a hyper-spectral sensor and a hi-vision video image filming. As the first step of the Hokkaido satellite project, a space experiment using a 2.7kg nano-satellite was executed. To demonstrate the performance of the bus system of the small satellite, a cube-sat “HIT-SAT” was developed as a scale model of the Hokkaido Satellite. This paper describes the development and results of launch and operation. The HIT-SAT is 2.7 kg in weight and 12cm cubed sizes. The bus system of the satellite consists of five subsystems; power generation system, structure system, data handling system, communication system and attitude control system. The HIT-SAT was launched successfully on Sep. 23, 2006 (JST) as a sub-payload of M-V-7 rocket. The CW telemetry has been received around the world by many radio amateurs.