The fuselage of the quasi-zenith satellite system "Michibiki" No. 6 was released. Seven-aircraft team advances toward Japan's unique positioning2024/11/27On November 27, Mitsubishi Electric unveiled the completed prototype of the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System "Michibiki" No. 6 to the press at the company's Kamakura Plant. It is scheduled to be launched by the end of 2024 on the H3 rocket. In the future, with a seven-spacer system that includes the 5th and 7th satellites, which are scheduled to be launched in FY2025, we aim to realize a continuous positioning service that does not depend on systems from other countries, such as GPS.[...]The main specifications of the Michibiki Unit 6 released to the press this time are as follows. The H3 rocket will be launched in the H3-22S form (two LE-9 engines, two SRB-3s, and a short fairing).- Orbit: Geostationary Orbit- Size after deployment in orbit: Approx. 19 m in total length- Paddle generation power (EOL), configuration: 6.7 kW, 2 panels, 2 blades- Weight (dry/launch): Approx. 1.9 t/Approx. 4.9 t- Installed transmission (weight/power consumption): 575kg/2.7kW- Design life: more than 15 years[...](Google Translate from Japanese)
Space Force delivers second U.S. payload to be hosted on Japanese satelliteU.S. optical sensors will be hosted on QZSS satellitesMay 18, 2023The U.S. Space Force announced May 17 it has delivered the second of two payloads to be hosted on Japanese satellites under an agreement the United States signed with Japan in 2020. The two U.S. payloads are optical sensors developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory. They will be hosted on Japan’s geostationary Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) satellites. The first payload was delivered earlier this year.These payloads will augment the Space Force’s space domain awareness capabilities, the Space Systems Command said in a news release. [...]There are currently three QZSS operational satellites, and three more are projected to launch in the next two years, QZS-5, QZS-6 and QZS-7. The U.S. payloads will be hosted on vehicles 6 and 7. [...]
First Japanese satellite hosting U.S. payload successfully integrated and ready for delivery to launch siteDecember 9, 2024Less than four years after the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and Japan’s Cabinet Office signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding to launch two U.S. payloads on Japan’s Quasi Zenith Satellite System, the first Japanese host satellite with a U.S. payload celebrated the milestone of successful installation and cleared ready for delivery to the launch site at Japan’s Tanegashima National Space Center.[...]Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT/LL) designed and developed the Space Domain Awareness optical payloads. The first of two Japanese host satellites, QZS-6, is scheduled to launch from Japan’s Tanegashima National Space Center in early 2025. Assembly, Integration, and Test of the second Japanese host satellite, QZS-7, is actively underway with launch on track in early Fiscal Year 2026.
USSF says launch is in Early-2025, with QZS-7 set to launch in early FY2026 (Q2 2026):QuoteFirst Japanese satellite hosting U.S. payload successfully integrated and ready for delivery to launch siteDecember 9, 2024Less than four years after the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and Japan’s Cabinet Office signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding to launch two U.S. payloads on Japan’s Quasi Zenith Satellite System, the first Japanese host satellite with a U.S. payload celebrated the milestone of successful installation and cleared ready for delivery to the launch site at Japan’s Tanegashima National Space Center.[...]Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT/LL) designed and developed the Space Domain Awareness optical payloads. The first of two Japanese host satellites, QZS-6, is scheduled to launch from Japan’s Tanegashima National Space Center in early 2025. Assembly, Integration, and Test of the second Japanese host satellite, QZS-7, is actively underway with launch on track in early Fiscal Year 2026.
Confirmed for launch on February 1, 2025 at 08:30-10:30 UTC: https://www.jaxa.jp/press/2024/12/20241211-1_j.html(mission booklet attached below)JAXA also confirmed the recent test firing failure of the Epsilon-S 2nd stage has no impact on this launch.
At 9 p.m. on December 12, the truck carrying Michibiki 6 departed from Shimama Port for the Tanegashima Space Center.(Translated)
Our H3 payload fairing and payload support structure are on the move! After arriving safely in Basel, the cargo is now heading to Rotterdam, Kobe, and finally Tanegashima, Japan.
QuoteOur H3 payload fairing and payload support structure are on the move! After arriving safely in Basel, the cargo is now heading to Rotterdam, Kobe, and finally Tanegashima, Japan.
RUAG Space to supply composite payload fairings for H3 launch vehicle4/10/2019[...]RUAG Space composite payload fairings and supporting structures are planned to be used on three resupply missions to the International Space Station, which will be done by the HTV-X cargo spacecraft, [...]
271424Z JAN 25HYDROPAC 196/25(81,97).NORTH PACIFIC.PHILIPPINE SEA.WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC.JAPAN.DNC 12.1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS 01 FEB, ALTERNATE 02 FEB THRU 31 MAR: A. 0835Z TO 1039Z IN AREA BOUND BY 30-04.00N 132-22.00E, 30-31.00N 132-26.00E, 30-20.00N 133-39.00E, 30-02.38N 133-35.85E, 29-53.65N 133-24.07E. B. 0842Z TO 1054Z IN AREA BOUND BY 29-07.13N 139-40.20E, 29-15.50N 139-31.20E, 30-01.00N 139-39.58E, 30-08.53N 140-12.00E, 29-26.00N 144-06.00E, 28-21.00N 143-54.00E. C. 0846Z TO 1102Z IN AREA BOUND BY 24-54.00N 159-59.00E, 26-49.00N 160-35.00E, 24-17.00N 168-43.00E, 22-21.00N 168-07.00E.2. CANCEL THIS MSG 311202Z MAR 25.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.@MHI_GroupJP━━━━━━━━━━━ #H3RocketCommunication Launching 🚀 Today━━━━━━━━━━━ ‼H3 Rocket No. 5 arrived at the launch pad early this morning 🛰Launch time is 17:30:00 today, before sunset on Tanegashima 🌄#H3F5 #Michibiki No.6 Translate post
CelesTrak has GP data for 2 objects from the launch (2025-023) of Michibiki 6 atop an H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center on Feb 2 at 0830 UTC: https://japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/02/02/japan/science-health/jaxa-michibiki-satellite-successfully-launched/. Data for the launch can be found at: https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2025-023.
~1694 m/s to GEO:QuoteCelesTrak has GP data for 2 objects from the launch (2025-023) of Michibiki 6 atop an H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center on Feb 2 at 0830 UTC: https://japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/02/02/japan/science-health/jaxa-michibiki-satellite-successfully-launched/. Data for the launch can be found at: https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2025-023.https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1886127159644942681
