IBUKI-2 (GOSAT-2) Successful Launch and Completion of Critical Operations Phase

Greenhouse gasses Observation SATellite-2 “IBUKI-2” (GOSAT-2) developed jointly by the Ministry of the Environment(MOE), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) was successfully launched with the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 40 (H-IIA F40) by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and JAXA. JAXA confirmed with the telemetry data received from GOSAT-2 that power generation that supports satellite’s operation by the deployed solar array wings, ground communications as well as sound attitude controls that maintain those operations had been operating normally. Combined by the completion of the series of planned operations such as powering up the bus and mission equipment, GOSAT-2 has been able to sustain itself in orbit. This concludes the critical operations phase^*1.

GOSAT-2 will move on to the next operations phase^*2, where the functions of the satellite's onboard instruments will be examined in the next 2.5-month period.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all parties concerned for their support and cooperation in the process of GOSAT-2 development.

• (Please refer to the PDF for the message from the president of NIES.）

^*1 Critical operations phase: the phase that follows satellite’s separation from a launch vehicle. In this phase, solar arrays are deployed, and the onboard instruments are turned on for the satellite’s regular operations. The critical operations phase concludes when the control mode begins for the satellite’s nominal operation.

^*2 Next operations phase: during this phase, the entire satellite, its observation/mission sensors and other onboard instruments are scrutinized.

Related links:
NIES GOSAT-2 Project Homepage:http://www.gosat-2.nies.go.jp/
JAXA GOSAT-2 Project Homepage:http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/gosat2/

Contact:
Satellite Observation Center,
National Institute for Environmental Studies
16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506 JAPAN
Phone: +81-29-850-2035
Fax: +81-29-850-2219