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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 altitude	597 km (371 mi)
Apogee altitude	612 km (380 mi)
Inclination	97.8°
Period	96.8 minutes
Epoch	23 August 2005, 17:10:00 UTC[1]
Instruments LUCE Laser-Utilizing Communications Equipment MVE Micro Vibration Equipment

The Optical Inter-orbit Communications Engineering Test Satellite (OICETS), also called Kirari, was 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 that launcher, the launch had to be put on hold. Using the H-IIA was out of question: it would have been overkill to use the H-IIA 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 (since 2014, sold to Avanti Communications to exploit its Ka, S, and L-band payloads), OICETS was successfully launched on an SS-18-based Dnepr rocket.

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

Achievements[edit]

• 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[edit]

External links[edit]

• OICETS website at JAXA.jp

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