In his address to the Diet in mid-September, Prime Minister Yoshihiko
Noda stated that -
"In order to call forth the aspiration to become a pioneer of a new era
among the young, we will advance the development of human resources,
including the bringing up global human resources, and educate to
develop people's ability to learn and think on their own. Furthermore,
we will be exploring policies to open up frontiers of a new Japan,
including the establishment of a new community development model which
aims to achieve prosperous furusato (homelands), the development of sea
areas which are said to be a reservoir of marine resources, and the
establishment of a strategic scheme for promoting the development and
use of outer space."
This fleeting reference to a new space strategy was followed a bit
later on by a few comments on Japanese national security issues.
"There is also an increasing lack of transparency in the security
environment surrounding Japan. In such a situation it is naturally the
responsibility of the government to create a system in time of peace
that is capable of responding swiftly to any crisis that may unfold in
order to ensure regional peace and stability as well as safety of the
people. In accordance with the new National Defense Program Guidelines
that were formulated at the end of last year, Japan will enhance its
readiness and mobility and work to build a dynamic defense force, thus
responding to the new security environment," said Noda.
(The full text of PM Noda's address can be seen here -
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20110914dy01.htm)
Ten days later, JAXA launched the latest of several Information
Gathering Satellites (IGS), which form a constellation that will not be
completely deployed until at least 2018. The JAXA web site remains
silent thus far about what was the 19th H-IIA launch by the way.
The IGS launch received very little media coverage. This comes as no real
surprise. Simultaneous space-related stories at the time included the
looming plunge to Earth of the U.S.-built UARS satellite, and the
pending launch of the first module for China's space station. The
launch of the U.S. TacSat-4 satellite - validating trends in Japanese
space research among other things - and the return of the Sea Launch
system to operational status after a 2-year hiatus proved to be much hotter
space news stories than the IGS launch.
Noda probably appreciated the low profile of the IGS because space and spy satellite
activities in particular are way down on his agenda.
If you turn the clock back to the days in March just prior to the Great
2011 Earthquake, the Japanese space sector was in a very upbeat mood
following the completion of a lucrative sale of a pair of satellites in
Turkey involving Turksat and MELCO.
At the same time, this satellite transaction happened independently of
anything unfolding in Japan's Strategic Headquarters for Space
Development. And while Noda apparently wants to encourage a private
sector surge in space-related exports, companies like NEC Corp. are not
shy about reminding everyone that they have been there, and done that
already. In a presentation last year, for example, NEC listed dozens of
satellites flying over Europe, North and South America and even China
which are equipped with vital components supplied by NEC.
The latest IGS launch comes at a time when the U.S. is anxious to
increase its ISR activities directed at China, too. So what results is
a growing layer of Japanese satellite surveillance cloaked within the
surge of multi-platform intelligence gathering by the U.S. focused on
the same region. This increased redundancy in satellite imagery
generation seems awkward at best, especially at a time when the world
is awash in satellite imagery in general. The bumpy ride experienced
lately by Germany-based RapidEye AG - now under the ownership of
Canada-based Iunctus Geomatics - is an excellent case in point.
So, detecting what lies ahead in space during the early days of the
Noda government is heavy in speculation and light in substance. The
decision to go ahead with the IGS launch and all the Japanese
footprints around foreign commercial satellite launch sites were made
long before the DPJ reshuffled the cards and Noda arrived in his
current office. The small satellite boom with its robotic emphasis -
something that seems to fascinate Noda in particular - is well underway
as well. What Noda and his advisors must decide is whether or not to
tinker with this smooth-running apparatus at a time when precious
resources are scarce and there are so many other things in Japan that
require his urgent attention.
Abandoning plans to establish a Japanese space agency a la NASA for now
and leaving all space-related decisionmaking inside the Cabinet Office
seems to show that the Noda team is taking a realistic view of the
Japanese space sector, although this is bound to stir up some
objections. Expanding upon the GPS concept which has been dedicated to
serving the Japanese islands from the start also makes sense so long as
a budgetary balance can be maintained.
Injecting new and uncertain elements into the Japanese space agenda is
something this new government seems inclined to shy away from. Noda is not Hatoyama, and Noda needs to focus on building public confidence not launching rockets. In a nutshell, space can wait.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Japanese microsatellites on agenda in Brazil
Delegação Acadêmica Japonesa
Discute Micro/Nanosatélite com a AEB
AEB
22/09/2011
Uma delegação japonesa composta por representantes da embaixada, do setor acadêmico e de pesquisa foi recebida, ontem (21/09), na Agência Espacial Brasileira (AEB), pelo diretor de Satélites, Aplicações e Desenvolvimento (Dsad), Thyrso Villela, e o chefe da Assessoria de Cooperação Internacional (ACI), José Monserrat Filho. O tema principal do encontro foi a possibilidade de desenvolvimento conjunto de micro/nanosatélites.
Segundo a comitiva japonesa a miniaturização de satélites já é uma tendência mundial por dois aspectos. O primeiro deles é o baixo custo de fabricação. Enquanto os de médio-grande porte podem custar algo em torno de US$ 200 a US$ 500 milhões, os de pequeno porte estão na faixa de US$ 2 a US$ 5 milhões, o que representa um centésimo do preço.
Outra vantagem é o tempo de desenvolvimento e fabricação dessa classe de satélite. Eles levam cerca de um ano e meio a dois anos para serem concluídos, algo em torno de um quinto do necessário para a finalização dos de médio porte.
Para a delegação, com estas vantagens, será possível lançar uma quantidade maior de satélites com custo reduzido, conformando uma rede de satélites que monitore determinada aéreo em tempo real em caráter quase que permanente. O grupo também acredita que esse programa permitirá a capacitação de recursos humanos para o setor espacial.
O programa de satélites de pequeno porte contemplaria áreas como agricultura, monitoramento florestal e monitoramento de desatres naturais. O desenvolvimento conjunto não se restringeria aos artefatos, mas abrangeria todos os sistemas envolvidos no seu emprego como: recepção e análise de imagens.
Durante a reunião, também foi discutida a possibilidade de uma cooperação sul-sul visando a montagem de uma rede de cooperação na área de micro/nanosatélites para emprego em diversas áreas. Essa rede global de monitoramento, que deverá cobrir a América Latina e outros países tropicais, contará não somente com satélites de pequeno porte, mas também com os de médio porte (portadores de radares), como o Asnaro e o ALOS2.
A comitiva fez, ainda, um convite ao Brasil para participar do projeto Uniform, que consiste em um programa de universidades japonesas para a capacitação de jovens engenheiros de outros países.
A visita da delegação já estava prevista em conformidade com as prioridades para cooperação entre os dois países, assinada em 2010, durante a III Reunião da Comissão Mista Japão-Brasil de Cooperação em Ciência e Tecnologia, realizada em Brasília.
Participaram do encontro o representante da Universidade de Wakayama, Hiroaki Akiyama e o representante da Next Generation Space System Technology Research Association, Yuki Saito.
Fonte: Site da Agência Espacial Brasileira (AEB)
This is posted on an excellent blog - http://brazilianspace.blogspot.com/
My problem is that I do not speak Portuguese and this hinders my ability to credit the blogger in question.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Wanted - New small satellite launch vehicles
| Small satellites are growing in popularity for many reasons. As a result, the search is on for more flexible and cost-effective small satellite launch solutions. Amongst all the researchers and small satellite enthusiasts at the recent 25th Annual AIAA/Utah State University Conference on Small Satellites, the only team that made a presentation focusing on commercial launch-related activities represented the Japanese government's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) - funded project known as the Air Launch System Enabling Technology R&D (ALSET) program. ALSET was initiated in 2009 to determine the viability of various airborne launch technologies. There is considerable emphasis on overall flexibility and responsiveness. In addition to launch vehicle loading and deployment, for example, attitude stabilization at the time of ignition in the air, and technologies relevant to the drop sequence need to be verified. Fixed-wing aircraft - military and civilian - already have a successful track record in this role thanks to Orbital Sciences in the U.S., for example, and its Pegasus subsonic launch platform. In the mid-1980's, U.S. F-15's fired anti-satellite (ASAT) missiles that could conceivably be adapted to launch mini-, nano- and pico-satellites into space. This fighter aircraft-based approach is now emerging under programs known as GO Launcher and Trimaran, among others. One can assume that Israel and Russia in particular also possess this capability today. If everything goes according to plan, the work undertaken by the ALSET team will help ensure that small payloads - 100 kg to 200 kg - will be launched someday using a multi-stage solid rocket mated to an existing aircraft. One of the slides presented by the ALSET team during the conference in Utah clearly stated that, "the drop test will be conducted in the US in CY 2013." The Yuma Proving Ground and Edwards Air Force Base were named as two potential test sites in the U.S. Another slide showed a plane which bore a strong resemblance to a C-17. Several other planes have also been evaluated for ALSET. Takayoshi Fuji who has worked on ALSET since it started and now serves as Director of the brand new Small Launch System Group at Japan's Institute for Unmanned Space Experiment Free Flyer (USEF) stated that, "the C-130 is one of the candidates, and this has not been decided yet." Japan's new Kawasaki C-2X cargo plane did not appear on any of the ALSET slides in Utah. Takayoshi emphasized that ALSET is, "a basic technology development project, and an actual launch test is not planned." Besides USEF, the ALSET team includes IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd. CSP Japan, Inc. and SpaceWorks Commercial which is based in Washington, D.C. "The purpose of the ALSET project is not to develop the air launching system itself, rather to develop the effective basic technology for a commercial satellite launch business in the future," said Takayoshi. ALSET is much more than a broad-based conceptual study. It includes assessments and validations of operations, GPS ranging and satellite-based telemetry, tracking, and control as well as new avionics packages. Legal, regulatory, and safety issues are also addressed. "Like many other space projects in Japan, the ALSET project is facing a considerable challenge as far as attracting adequate funding given the current situation in Japan," said Takayoshi. “We are continuing all the necessary work, although the government's budget profile over the coming years will likely be kept tight due to the magnitude of the destruction resulting from the Tohoku Region Pacific Coast Earthquake." USEF and IHI Aerospace were participants in a project known as "NanoLauncher" too which SpaceWorks Commercial created. This focused on evaluating the feasibility of using decommissioned military fighter aircraft to launch very small satellites akin to the U.S. F-15 launch tests mentioned above. "(The NanoLauncher project) was an exploratory study done last year dealing with a nanosatellite air-launch system. We were looking at potential Japanese solid rocket stages for part of the system as part of that exploratory study," said A.C. Charania, president of SpaceWorks Commercial. "Now, SpaceWorks Commercial has recently formed a new company called Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) that will be attempting to develop this concept further under the system name of GO Launcher. We are currently in design phase and will be slowly releasing information over the next few months." Charania did not want to reveal too many details at this point, but he did say that the results of the NanoLauncher study are helping to shape the GO Launcher system. Otherwise, the term NanoLauncher is simply no longer in use. "USEF, being a quasi non-commercial entity, would probably not be involved directly in GO. GO is a U.S. commercial project. ALSET, being a government of Japan project, does involve USEF," said Charania. "Our current plan, subject to approvals, would be to have some sort of collaboration between GO and IHI Aerospace with potential solid rocket stages for the GO Launcher system provided by IHI Aerospace as a vendor." |
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Japan plans more amazing microsatellites - Part 2
Professor Kazuya Yoshida is in charge of the Space Robotics Laboratory
at Tohoku University's Department of Aerospace Engineering. He and
Professor Yukihiro Takahashi of Hokkaido University's Department of
Cosmosciences began working together almost a decade ago on the development
of microsatellites for science missions. Prof. Takahashi played a major role in
selecting scientific missions and served as science mission coordinator for the
"RISING" series of microsatellites, among other things, while he was at
Tohoku University, too. These two partners formed a team from the Graduate
School of Engineering and the Graduate School of Science.
The "RISING" (Sprite-Sat) microsatellite was successfully launched into a
670 km high, sun-synchronous orbit in January, 2009. It went up as a piggyback
payload aboard a Japanese H-IIA launch vehicle. RISING is about 50 x 50 x 50 cm,
and weighs about 45 kg.
"RISING" is derived from RAIJIN, the god of thunder and lightning in
Japanese mythology, for reasons that will become obvious in a moment.
"The goal of this satellite is to establish key technologies for a
university-based, 50kg-class of micro-satellites and to conduct
scientific observation of 'sprites' which are a type of Transient
Luminous Event (TLE) observed in the middle atmosphere. TLE's were
first discovered in 1989, and they typically occur at an altitude of
40 km to 90 km," said Prof. Yoshida. "It is considered that large scale
thunderstorms are capable of producing such luminous events over the
clouds, but a true mechanism is still under the veil."
Prof. Takahashi added that in order to clarify the mechanism of TLEs,
observing horizontal structures of TLEs is considered to be essential.
"RISING and RISING-2 carry two cameras with different filters to
capture the TLEs in the direction of their nadirs. Other satellite
projects are proceeding which use the same type of imagers such as
TARANIS at CNES, ASIM / ISS at ESA, and FORMOSAT-5 in Taiwan. Also, our
Japanese team has just completed the fabrication of the Global
Lightning and SprIte Measurements (GLIMS / JEM-EF or GLIMS / ISS)
experiment which will be installed soon on the Japanese Experiment
Module - Exposed Facility attached to the International Space Station,"
said Prof. Takahashi.
GLIMS is scheduled to be launched this winter.
One of the major advantages of microsatellites in general is their
relatively quick turnaround time or development to launch cycle.
"RISING was the first microsatellite to be launched (for the purpose
described above). Even GLIMS, whose development is based entirely on
the heritage of RISING, emerged earlier than the other missions," said
Prof. Takahashi.
See http://www.astro.mech.tohoku.ac.jp/SPRITE-SAT/index_e.html
Prof. Yoshida emphasizes that while RISING has experienced a crippling
blow as a result of a failed power control system, the engineering
verification of the key technologies for future microsatellites was
otherwise almost a complete success.
"The spacecraft is alive and in orbit now, but more than 930 days after
the launch, no scientific observations have been conducted yet due to
the problem caused by the power failure," said Prof. Yoshida.
RISING-2 is the exact same size and weight as RISING. Fabrication and
evaluation tests of the engineering model, and verification of the
flight model were finished by May. Evaluation tests and updating of
on-board software are continuing. There is no firm launch date.
RISING-2 features a telescope that is 10cm in diameter and has a 1m
focal length, and it take images with 5m resolution. It can generate
multi-spectrum images using a liquid crystal tunable filter as well as
Red-Green-Blue color photos.
"The primary mission is the observation of cumulonimbus clouds in
visible, near infrared. Also, TLEs in the upper atmosphere such as
sprite are observed using complimentary metal oxide semiconductor -
based sensors," said Prof. Yoshida.
Why would someone study thunderstorms and cumulonimbus clouds - hence
the RAIJIN connection?
"The development mechanism is very difficult to observe and gaining
more knowledge about these clouds, given their important role as
significant carriers of water vapor which is the dominant greenhouse
gas, is vital to increasing our understanding of the dynamics of
climate change," said Prof. Takahashi. "This detailed observation
may be only made possible via a microsatellite that can be operated on
demand by a scientist."
More specifically, this telescope images at any wavelength in
the 650-1050 nanometer range using a liquid crystal filter for the
first time. This enables its operators to measure the absorption line
of water vapor around a thundercloud, which is a result of updrafts
which are essential to thunderstorm activity.
"This telescope can be useful for many other important purposes
including the estimation of carbon fix, and observation of planetary
phenomenon such as cloud heights and cloud structures on Jupiter, for
example," said Prof. Takahashi.
RISING-2's power control system, which caused such a problem on the
previous satellite, has been much improved to ensure the system's
reliability.
"A new 3-axis attitude sensing and control system, including sun
sensors, star trackers, reaction wheels and an on-board computer
dedicated to attitude control, was also developed. This one differs
from the original installed on RISING which relied on passive
gravity-gradient plus active damping control" said Prof Yoshida.
The Rapid International Scientific Experiment Satellite (RISESAT) will
be this team's third 50 kg-class demonstration microsatellite, and it
counted as one of the 5 satellites that will be developed under the
"New-Paradigm of Space Development and Utilization by Nano-Satellite"
program led by Prof. Nakasuka at the University of Tokyo with funding
support from the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan.
(See the discussion of the"Hodoyoshi" program in Part 1 where RISESAT
was identified as "Hodoyoshi-2")
RISESAT will carry 8 scientific instruments with a total mass of 10 kg
- the preliminary design review was completed recently - developed by
the following countries: Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungary,
Taiwan(China), Vietnam, USA and Germany. These were selected from 17
candidates who responded to the RISESAT open call. The instruments
include a High Precision Telescope, a 3D Magnetometer, a 3D Cosmic
Radiation Sensor, and a Meteor Detector.
The onboard telescope is a successor to the RISING-2 telescope. A
Japanese science team will support ongoing development, operation and
analysis activities. The main objectives are astronomical observation
and forestry surveillance in collaboration with the requisite
Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Japanese agencies.
The team's 10 x 10 x 20 cm Cube-Sat called RAIKO weighing 2 kg will be
deployed from the International Space Station next year. RAIKO means a
drum that is carried by RAIJIN. This project is a collaboration with
Wakayama University and the University of Tokyo.
"The mission is a technology demonstration which will verify some
components that will be useful for future micro and nano satellites,"
said Prof. Yoshida.
"Microsatellites in the 50 kg range with dimensions roughly 50 x 50 x
50 cm have a great potential for significant scientific observation and
remote-sensing missions, while Cube-Sats are mostly useful for
technology demonstration and education."
"Today, the commercial and government markets for small satellites in
the 100 kg to 300 kg category are growing rapidly, and in this domain,
some pioneering companies, such as UK-based SSTL, are already
successful," said Prof. Yoshida. "Japan has a chance to be successful
in the markets involving much smaller satellites with a 50 kg maximum
weight. This market is not yet well established commercially."
Japan has always excelled at anything involving miniaturization and
Japan's list of creative breakthroughs in this regard is long indeed.
If it can be made lighter, smaller, and more economically-efficient,
Japan can figure out how to do it. Japan's formidable and agile
knowledge-intensive industrial base plays a fundamental role here.
"The Japanese government is very supportive of this concept and our 3
microsatellites - RISING, RISING-2 and RISESAT - are all funded by
government programs. Development costs range approximately between $USD
1.5 - 3.8 Million. Typical development time is 1.5 to 2 years," said
Prof. Yoshida.
He is excited that these 3 microsatellites are contributing to
breakthroughs in scientific and remote sensing types of applications
such as climate and disaster monitoring as well as the comprehensive
investigation of carbon circulation mechanisms beginning with the
observation of TLEs, cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms.
When exactly will the launches of RISING-2 and RISESAT take place?
"The number of flight opportunities provided by JAXA is very limited.
RISING-2 is now registered by JAXA as a candidate of future launch, but
no suitable launch options for our mission exist prior to 2013," said
Prof. Yoshida. "As for RISESAT, most likely we will use a commercial
launcher such as a Russian Denpr or an Indian PSLV. But to make it
happen we need to obtain the necessary funds to cover the launch cost,
which is rising steadily these days."
Prof. Yoshida is glad that so many eager researchers from other
countries are now emerging. That said, an intensive search is underway
for partners - especially in SE Asia - for the University International
Formation Mission (UNIFORM) microsatellite project that Japan announced
last year.
Sweden's AAC Microtec provided the on-board avionics technology that
was installed on RISING. And AAC's space plug-and-play avionics
solution will be handling the interfacing of the multiple scientific
instruments aboard RISESAT, too.
at Tohoku University's Department of Aerospace Engineering. He and
Professor Yukihiro Takahashi of Hokkaido University's Department of
Cosmosciences began working together almost a decade ago on the development
of microsatellites for science missions. Prof. Takahashi played a major role in
selecting scientific missions and served as science mission coordinator for the
"RISING" series of microsatellites, among other things, while he was at
Tohoku University, too. These two partners formed a team from the Graduate
School of Engineering and the Graduate School of Science.
The "RISING" (Sprite-Sat) microsatellite was successfully launched into a
670 km high, sun-synchronous orbit in January, 2009. It went up as a piggyback
payload aboard a Japanese H-IIA launch vehicle. RISING is about 50 x 50 x 50 cm,
and weighs about 45 kg.
"RISING" is derived from RAIJIN, the god of thunder and lightning in
Japanese mythology, for reasons that will become obvious in a moment.
"The goal of this satellite is to establish key technologies for a
university-based, 50kg-class of micro-satellites and to conduct
scientific observation of 'sprites' which are a type of Transient
Luminous Event (TLE) observed in the middle atmosphere. TLE's were
first discovered in 1989, and they typically occur at an altitude of
40 km to 90 km," said Prof. Yoshida. "It is considered that large scale
thunderstorms are capable of producing such luminous events over the
clouds, but a true mechanism is still under the veil."
Prof. Takahashi added that in order to clarify the mechanism of TLEs,
observing horizontal structures of TLEs is considered to be essential.
"RISING and RISING-2 carry two cameras with different filters to
capture the TLEs in the direction of their nadirs. Other satellite
projects are proceeding which use the same type of imagers such as
TARANIS at CNES, ASIM / ISS at ESA, and FORMOSAT-5 in Taiwan. Also, our
Japanese team has just completed the fabrication of the Global
Lightning and SprIte Measurements (GLIMS / JEM-EF or GLIMS / ISS)
experiment which will be installed soon on the Japanese Experiment
Module - Exposed Facility attached to the International Space Station,"
said Prof. Takahashi.
GLIMS is scheduled to be launched this winter.
One of the major advantages of microsatellites in general is their
relatively quick turnaround time or development to launch cycle.
"RISING was the first microsatellite to be launched (for the purpose
described above). Even GLIMS, whose development is based entirely on
the heritage of RISING, emerged earlier than the other missions," said
Prof. Takahashi.
See http://www.astro.mech.tohoku.ac.jp/SPRITE-SAT/index_e.html
Prof. Yoshida emphasizes that while RISING has experienced a crippling
blow as a result of a failed power control system, the engineering
verification of the key technologies for future microsatellites was
otherwise almost a complete success.
"The spacecraft is alive and in orbit now, but more than 930 days after
the launch, no scientific observations have been conducted yet due to
the problem caused by the power failure," said Prof. Yoshida.
RISING-2 is the exact same size and weight as RISING. Fabrication and
evaluation tests of the engineering model, and verification of the
flight model were finished by May. Evaluation tests and updating of
on-board software are continuing. There is no firm launch date.
RISING-2 features a telescope that is 10cm in diameter and has a 1m
focal length, and it take images with 5m resolution. It can generate
multi-spectrum images using a liquid crystal tunable filter as well as
Red-Green-Blue color photos.
"The primary mission is the observation of cumulonimbus clouds in
visible, near infrared. Also, TLEs in the upper atmosphere such as
sprite are observed using complimentary metal oxide semiconductor -
based sensors," said Prof. Yoshida.
Why would someone study thunderstorms and cumulonimbus clouds - hence
the RAIJIN connection?
"The development mechanism is very difficult to observe and gaining
more knowledge about these clouds, given their important role as
significant carriers of water vapor which is the dominant greenhouse
gas, is vital to increasing our understanding of the dynamics of
climate change," said Prof. Takahashi. "This detailed observation
may be only made possible via a microsatellite that can be operated on
demand by a scientist."
More specifically, this telescope images at any wavelength in
the 650-1050 nanometer range using a liquid crystal filter for the
first time. This enables its operators to measure the absorption line
of water vapor around a thundercloud, which is a result of updrafts
which are essential to thunderstorm activity.
"This telescope can be useful for many other important purposes
including the estimation of carbon fix, and observation of planetary
phenomenon such as cloud heights and cloud structures on Jupiter, for
example," said Prof. Takahashi.
RISING-2's power control system, which caused such a problem on the
previous satellite, has been much improved to ensure the system's
reliability.
"A new 3-axis attitude sensing and control system, including sun
sensors, star trackers, reaction wheels and an on-board computer
dedicated to attitude control, was also developed. This one differs
from the original installed on RISING which relied on passive
gravity-gradient plus active damping control" said Prof Yoshida.
The Rapid International Scientific Experiment Satellite (RISESAT) will
be this team's third 50 kg-class demonstration microsatellite, and it
counted as one of the 5 satellites that will be developed under the
"New-Paradigm of Space Development and Utilization by Nano-Satellite"
program led by Prof. Nakasuka at the University of Tokyo with funding
support from the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan.
(See the discussion of the"Hodoyoshi" program in Part 1 where RISESAT
was identified as "Hodoyoshi-2")
RISESAT will carry 8 scientific instruments with a total mass of 10 kg
- the preliminary design review was completed recently - developed by
the following countries: Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungary,
Taiwan(China), Vietnam, USA and Germany. These were selected from 17
candidates who responded to the RISESAT open call. The instruments
include a High Precision Telescope, a 3D Magnetometer, a 3D Cosmic
Radiation Sensor, and a Meteor Detector.
The onboard telescope is a successor to the RISING-2 telescope. A
Japanese science team will support ongoing development, operation and
analysis activities. The main objectives are astronomical observation
and forestry surveillance in collaboration with the requisite
Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Japanese agencies.
The team's 10 x 10 x 20 cm Cube-Sat called RAIKO weighing 2 kg will be
deployed from the International Space Station next year. RAIKO means a
drum that is carried by RAIJIN. This project is a collaboration with
Wakayama University and the University of Tokyo.
"The mission is a technology demonstration which will verify some
components that will be useful for future micro and nano satellites,"
said Prof. Yoshida.
"Microsatellites in the 50 kg range with dimensions roughly 50 x 50 x
50 cm have a great potential for significant scientific observation and
remote-sensing missions, while Cube-Sats are mostly useful for
technology demonstration and education."
"Today, the commercial and government markets for small satellites in
the 100 kg to 300 kg category are growing rapidly, and in this domain,
some pioneering companies, such as UK-based SSTL, are already
successful," said Prof. Yoshida. "Japan has a chance to be successful
in the markets involving much smaller satellites with a 50 kg maximum
weight. This market is not yet well established commercially."
Japan has always excelled at anything involving miniaturization and
Japan's list of creative breakthroughs in this regard is long indeed.
If it can be made lighter, smaller, and more economically-efficient,
Japan can figure out how to do it. Japan's formidable and agile
knowledge-intensive industrial base plays a fundamental role here.
"The Japanese government is very supportive of this concept and our 3
microsatellites - RISING, RISING-2 and RISESAT - are all funded by
government programs. Development costs range approximately between $USD
1.5 - 3.8 Million. Typical development time is 1.5 to 2 years," said
Prof. Yoshida.
He is excited that these 3 microsatellites are contributing to
breakthroughs in scientific and remote sensing types of applications
such as climate and disaster monitoring as well as the comprehensive
investigation of carbon circulation mechanisms beginning with the
observation of TLEs, cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms.
When exactly will the launches of RISING-2 and RISESAT take place?
"The number of flight opportunities provided by JAXA is very limited.
RISING-2 is now registered by JAXA as a candidate of future launch, but
no suitable launch options for our mission exist prior to 2013," said
Prof. Yoshida. "As for RISESAT, most likely we will use a commercial
launcher such as a Russian Denpr or an Indian PSLV. But to make it
happen we need to obtain the necessary funds to cover the launch cost,
which is rising steadily these days."
Prof. Yoshida is glad that so many eager researchers from other
countries are now emerging. That said, an intensive search is underway
for partners - especially in SE Asia - for the University International
Formation Mission (UNIFORM) microsatellite project that Japan announced
last year.
Sweden's AAC Microtec provided the on-board avionics technology that
was installed on RISING. And AAC's space plug-and-play avionics
solution will be handling the interfacing of the multiple scientific
instruments aboard RISESAT, too.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Japan plans more amazing microsatellites - Part 1
Japan has always been regarded as a leader in the field of small
satellite development and operations with considerable expertise in
so-called microsatellites, and even smaller nano-satellites in
particular.
Still, Japan held its first "Nano-Satellite Symposium" only last June.
See http://park.itc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/nsat/NS1/main_e.html
And important organizations which support related research such as the
"Next generation Space system Technology Research Association" (NESTRA)
and the University Space Engineering Consortium (UNISEC) are virtually
brand new.
See http://www.nestra.jp/eng/
and http://www.unisec.jp/
Earlier this month I submitted questions to 3 top Japanese experts
about the work they were undertaking and they were kind enough to
respond promptly.
Part 1 of this post focuses on the work of Professor Shinichi Nakasuka
who is with the Intelligent Space System Laboratory (ISSL) in the
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Tokyo.
He is considered to be a pioneer in microsat and space engineering who
has contributed enormously to development of autonomous / artificially
intelligent space systems. He is also a strong advocate for the
implementation of a shared global Ground Station Network (GSN) to
oversee micro/nanosatellite operations. This project involves
identifying and establishing required functions for the GSN as well as
creating well-defined interfaces and a common architecture.
For readers who do not routinely keep track of these small satellites, I
offer this guide.
Minisatellites weigh between 50 kg to 500 kg
Microsatellites weigh between 20 kg and 50 kg
Nanosatellites weigh between 1kg and 20 kg
Picosatellites weigh between .1 and 1 kg
CubeSats with 1 kg maximum mass can be classified as either large
pico-satellites or small nanosats.
The smallest satellites are so-called femtosatellites which have a mass
of less that 0.1 kg.
Do not be surprised if you find others defining microsatellites as
weighing between 10 kg and 100 kg while designating nanosats as
weighing between 1 kg and 10 kg.
"The Micro-Nano boundary is rather flexble. It depends on the people
involved" said Prof. Nakasuka.
His team at the ISSL built CubeSat XI satellites which were so small -
10x10 cm and 1 kg in total weight - that each was carried in a
briefcase to its launch site at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia in
2003 and again in 2005.
The pico-satellite known as PRISM - now in orbit- is equipped with a
multi-lens refracting optical system and is capable of performing high
resolution imagery capture with approximately 30 meters of ground
resolution. PRISM's 80 cm (when extended) tube-like telescoping lens is
mounted on a very tiny spacecraft bus weighing just over 8kg.
Next to be launched from Brazil's Alcantara launch facility aboard
a Ukrainian Cyclone -4 rocket will be the Nano-Japan Astrometry Satellite
Mission for Infrared Exploration (Nano-JASMINE) which is a nano-
satellite built to carry out astrometry - determining the very precise
positions of stars. And that mission will be followed in late 2012 by
"Hodoyoshi-1" which is the first satellite in Japan's new nationwide
"Hodoyoshi" project (2010-2014) involving a broad-based emphasis on
practical outcomes for low-cost micro/nano-satellite development and
utilization.
Prof. Nakasuka presented a paper in April at the Small Satellite for
Earth Observation Conference in Berlin which outlined what he expects
to take place as the program gets underway. He is responsible for
setting this joint university - industry program in motion by the way.
Conceptualization and demonstration of a novel reliability concept -
“Reasonable Reliable Systems" or "Hodoyoshi" in Japanese - which is
suitable for micro/nano-satellites is one objective.
Here are 3 other goals -
- Research and development of all the required components for
micro/nano-satellites with advanced technologies, aiming for best of
class performance per size.
- Reduction of development time via innovative satellite development
processes and software tools including standardized interfaces and
ground test procedures.
- Creation of a self-sufficient and all-Japanese micro/nano-satellite
consortium - in effect a robust supply chain network - reinforced by
dedicated user communities, and intensive human resource training, etc.
Pursuit of ultra-high reliability as required in conventional
governmental satellites is very important too.
"The “Hodoyoshi” concept evaluates cost-reliability relationships to
identify relevant and appropriate
design points which yield the highest degree of reliability per cost.
The incredible miniaturization of space components and systems now
underway separates small let alone tiny satellites from conventional
mid-sized or large satellites. Vastly different operating
characteristics come into play based on the satellite's size and the
power levels involved. More innovative subsystem design concepts are
needed, and this program encourages the development of an innovative
concept for each component via large scale, multi-player collaboration.
Hodoyoshi-1 will be used for remote sensing and earth observation,
introducing an innovative design concept for the satellite itself and a
new onboard optical sensor system. Hodoyoshi-1 will open anew chapter
in sensor design by nhancing the flexibility of sensors so that they
can address a wide range of applications and/or constraints. The
objective is to move away from overspecialized sensors that only fit
specific applications or function well under specific constraints.
Creating sensors that are optimized for reasonably high performance in a much broader range of applications and constraints
only makes sense.
"Specifically, we aim to develop a 'flexible' sensor in terms of (1)
selectability of wavelength bands, (2)
adaptability to the required Ground Sample Distance (GSD), and (3)
optimal performance under a wide range of environmental temperatures,"
said Prof. Nakasuka.
This means that refractive optics will be in the spotlight because it
outperforms reflective optics in terms of its ability to capture a wide
field of view and do so on the basis of higher practical performance.
Refractive optics is simply more tolerant of several
types of misalignment of optical elements. In addition, lens elements
can be supported on both sides of the lens surfaces, although mirror
elements are often difficult to support in the same way due to
significant deformation of mirror surfaces.
The method of scanning in this instance involves staring via
two-dimensional CCDs as photodetectors on account of the much less
strict requirements
for a satellite’s attitude stability.
Prof. Nakasuka's discussion of the selectability of wavelength bands
and the functionality of the optics
will be omitted here. He does address the tendency of refractive optics
to defocus as the environmental temperature changes.
"In the proposed concept, we aim at overcoming this weakness by
designing athermal and apochromatic optics, whose focus position stays
extremely flat over a wide range of wavelength and temperature," said
Prof. Nakasuka. "To design athermal and apochromatic optics, first, we
have described the wavelength and the temperature dependences of
optical and structural parameters of glass materials as a mathematical model.
Second, we select glass materials with a specific power as a result of the optimization of the established model."
Prof. Nakasuka informed his audience in Berlin that the
optical design for the first sensor based on the proposed concept is
now in progress.
Hodoyoshi-2 will be a purely scientific satellite open to
researchers other nations. More than 12 proposals
have been submitted thus far from several countries.
Hodoyoshi-3, Hodoyoshi-4, and Hodoyoshi-5 will constitute a single
constellation of micro/nano-satellites An international "Mission Idea
Contest" has been recently conducted to identify appropriate and
attractive missions for this specific constellation.
In addition to seeing the Hodoyoshi project accomplish its goals,
Prof. Nakasuka looks forward to the future deployment of an earth
observation constellation consisting of more than 100 tiny satellites.
"A space science mission which requires very special technology is the
also most interesting," said Prof. Nakasuka. "More 'soft' entertainment
applications would be a new area and we expect to see some new ideas
emerging from outside of established space community."
He politely declined when asked to describe these things in greater
detail.
"I am sorry, but these special technologies are secret. We are
developing several new applications of microsatellite technology, and
the details and required technologies cannot be shared with your
readers at this time," replied Prof. Nakasuka. "What sort of
entertainment might be promising is also secret. Sorry about that. The
key point is that applications of microsat are very broad and we can
expect many new types of applications introduced by many new types of
players."
He is eager to start testing new propulsion systems too.
"We are planning to use a small hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) propulsion
system, and we also plan to use an ion thruster which was specially
configured to be installed on a 50kg satellite" said Prof. Nakasuka.
JAXA appears to be meeting the demand for launch services required by
Japanese microsat researchers. Other launch options are available if
needed too.
"JAXA's H-IIA is providing launch services to accommodate a total of 9
micro/nano/pico satellites in Japan. The JEM module attached to the
International Space Station will be used to deploy 4 satellites next
summer," said Prof. Nakasuka. "But the number of slots are not enough
and we are negotiating in order to gain access to India's PLSV,
Russia's Dnepr and Rockot, and Ukraine's Cylone-4, to name a few."
Part 2 will examine cutting edge projects undertaken by a pair of top researchers, Prof. Kazuya Yoshida of Tohoku University and Prof. Yukihiro Takahashi of Hokkaido University.
satellite development and operations with considerable expertise in
so-called microsatellites, and even smaller nano-satellites in
particular.
Still, Japan held its first "Nano-Satellite Symposium" only last June.
See http://park.itc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/nsat/NS1/main_e.html
And important organizations which support related research such as the
"Next generation Space system Technology Research Association" (NESTRA)
and the University Space Engineering Consortium (UNISEC) are virtually
brand new.
See http://www.nestra.jp/eng/
and http://www.unisec.jp/
Earlier this month I submitted questions to 3 top Japanese experts
about the work they were undertaking and they were kind enough to
respond promptly.
Part 1 of this post focuses on the work of Professor Shinichi Nakasuka
who is with the Intelligent Space System Laboratory (ISSL) in the
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Tokyo.
He is considered to be a pioneer in microsat and space engineering who
has contributed enormously to development of autonomous / artificially
intelligent space systems. He is also a strong advocate for the
implementation of a shared global Ground Station Network (GSN) to
oversee micro/nanosatellite operations. This project involves
identifying and establishing required functions for the GSN as well as
creating well-defined interfaces and a common architecture.
For readers who do not routinely keep track of these small satellites, I
offer this guide.
Minisatellites weigh between 50 kg to 500 kg
Microsatellites weigh between 20 kg and 50 kg
Nanosatellites weigh between 1kg and 20 kg
Picosatellites weigh between .1 and 1 kg
CubeSats with 1 kg maximum mass can be classified as either large
pico-satellites or small nanosats.
The smallest satellites are so-called femtosatellites which have a mass
of less that 0.1 kg.
Do not be surprised if you find others defining microsatellites as
weighing between 10 kg and 100 kg while designating nanosats as
weighing between 1 kg and 10 kg.
"The Micro-Nano boundary is rather flexble. It depends on the people
involved" said Prof. Nakasuka.
His team at the ISSL built CubeSat XI satellites which were so small -
10x10 cm and 1 kg in total weight - that each was carried in a
briefcase to its launch site at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia in
2003 and again in 2005.
The pico-satellite known as PRISM - now in orbit- is equipped with a
multi-lens refracting optical system and is capable of performing high
resolution imagery capture with approximately 30 meters of ground
resolution. PRISM's 80 cm (when extended) tube-like telescoping lens is
mounted on a very tiny spacecraft bus weighing just over 8kg.
Next to be launched from Brazil's Alcantara launch facility aboard
a Ukrainian Cyclone -4 rocket will be the Nano-Japan Astrometry Satellite
Mission for Infrared Exploration (Nano-JASMINE) which is a nano-
satellite built to carry out astrometry - determining the very precise
positions of stars. And that mission will be followed in late 2012 by
"Hodoyoshi-1" which is the first satellite in Japan's new nationwide
"Hodoyoshi" project (2010-2014) involving a broad-based emphasis on
practical outcomes for low-cost micro/nano-satellite development and
utilization.
Prof. Nakasuka presented a paper in April at the Small Satellite for
Earth Observation Conference in Berlin which outlined what he expects
to take place as the program gets underway. He is responsible for
setting this joint university - industry program in motion by the way.
Conceptualization and demonstration of a novel reliability concept -
“Reasonable Reliable Systems" or "Hodoyoshi" in Japanese - which is
suitable for micro/nano-satellites is one objective.
Here are 3 other goals -
- Research and development of all the required components for
micro/nano-satellites with advanced technologies, aiming for best of
class performance per size.
- Reduction of development time via innovative satellite development
processes and software tools including standardized interfaces and
ground test procedures.
- Creation of a self-sufficient and all-Japanese micro/nano-satellite
consortium - in effect a robust supply chain network - reinforced by
dedicated user communities, and intensive human resource training, etc.
Pursuit of ultra-high reliability as required in conventional
governmental satellites is very important too.
"The “Hodoyoshi” concept evaluates cost-reliability relationships to
identify relevant and appropriate
design points which yield the highest degree of reliability per cost.
The incredible miniaturization of space components and systems now
underway separates small let alone tiny satellites from conventional
mid-sized or large satellites. Vastly different operating
characteristics come into play based on the satellite's size and the
power levels involved. More innovative subsystem design concepts are
needed, and this program encourages the development of an innovative
concept for each component via large scale, multi-player collaboration.
Hodoyoshi-1 will be used for remote sensing and earth observation,
introducing an innovative design concept for the satellite itself and a
new onboard optical sensor system. Hodoyoshi-1 will open anew chapter
in sensor design by nhancing the flexibility of sensors so that they
can address a wide range of applications and/or constraints. The
objective is to move away from overspecialized sensors that only fit
specific applications or function well under specific constraints.
Creating sensors that are optimized for reasonably high performance in a much broader range of applications and constraints
only makes sense.
"Specifically, we aim to develop a 'flexible' sensor in terms of (1)
selectability of wavelength bands, (2)
adaptability to the required Ground Sample Distance (GSD), and (3)
optimal performance under a wide range of environmental temperatures,"
said Prof. Nakasuka.
This means that refractive optics will be in the spotlight because it
outperforms reflective optics in terms of its ability to capture a wide
field of view and do so on the basis of higher practical performance.
Refractive optics is simply more tolerant of several
types of misalignment of optical elements. In addition, lens elements
can be supported on both sides of the lens surfaces, although mirror
elements are often difficult to support in the same way due to
significant deformation of mirror surfaces.
The method of scanning in this instance involves staring via
two-dimensional CCDs as photodetectors on account of the much less
strict requirements
for a satellite’s attitude stability.
Prof. Nakasuka's discussion of the selectability of wavelength bands
and the functionality of the optics
will be omitted here. He does address the tendency of refractive optics
to defocus as the environmental temperature changes.
"In the proposed concept, we aim at overcoming this weakness by
designing athermal and apochromatic optics, whose focus position stays
extremely flat over a wide range of wavelength and temperature," said
Prof. Nakasuka. "To design athermal and apochromatic optics, first, we
have described the wavelength and the temperature dependences of
optical and structural parameters of glass materials as a mathematical model.
Second, we select glass materials with a specific power as a result of the optimization of the established model."
Prof. Nakasuka informed his audience in Berlin that the
optical design for the first sensor based on the proposed concept is
now in progress.
Hodoyoshi-2 will be a purely scientific satellite open to
researchers other nations. More than 12 proposals
have been submitted thus far from several countries.
Hodoyoshi-3, Hodoyoshi-4, and Hodoyoshi-5 will constitute a single
constellation of micro/nano-satellites An international "Mission Idea
Contest" has been recently conducted to identify appropriate and
attractive missions for this specific constellation.
In addition to seeing the Hodoyoshi project accomplish its goals,
Prof. Nakasuka looks forward to the future deployment of an earth
observation constellation consisting of more than 100 tiny satellites.
"A space science mission which requires very special technology is the
also most interesting," said Prof. Nakasuka. "More 'soft' entertainment
applications would be a new area and we expect to see some new ideas
emerging from outside of established space community."
He politely declined when asked to describe these things in greater
detail.
"I am sorry, but these special technologies are secret. We are
developing several new applications of microsatellite technology, and
the details and required technologies cannot be shared with your
readers at this time," replied Prof. Nakasuka. "What sort of
entertainment might be promising is also secret. Sorry about that. The
key point is that applications of microsat are very broad and we can
expect many new types of applications introduced by many new types of
players."
He is eager to start testing new propulsion systems too.
"We are planning to use a small hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) propulsion
system, and we also plan to use an ion thruster which was specially
configured to be installed on a 50kg satellite" said Prof. Nakasuka.
JAXA appears to be meeting the demand for launch services required by
Japanese microsat researchers. Other launch options are available if
needed too.
"JAXA's H-IIA is providing launch services to accommodate a total of 9
micro/nano/pico satellites in Japan. The JEM module attached to the
International Space Station will be used to deploy 4 satellites next
summer," said Prof. Nakasuka. "But the number of slots are not enough
and we are negotiating in order to gain access to India's PLSV,
Russia's Dnepr and Rockot, and Ukraine's Cylone-4, to name a few."
Part 2 will examine cutting edge projects undertaken by a pair of top researchers, Prof. Kazuya Yoshida of Tohoku University and Prof. Yukihiro Takahashi of Hokkaido University.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Hypersonic Flight: HYFLEX deserves a closer look
The Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle (HTV) team at the U.S. Department of
Defense must now prepare its formal analysis of the flight of the
Falcon HTV-2 on August 11. The loss of HTV-2 follows on the heels of
the HTV-1 failure last year and it will put quite a bit of pressure on
the team at a time when the U.S. is discussing enormous cutbacks
in defense spending including money for R&D.
Here is an excerpt from the DARPA release issued soon after the HTV-2 flight.
“Here’s what we know,” said Air Force Maj. Chris Schulz, DARPA HTV-2
program manager and PhD in aerospace engineering. “We know how to
boost the aircraft to near space. We know how to insert the aircraft
into atmospheric hypersonic flight. We do not yet know how to achieve
the desired control during the aerodynamic phase of flight. It’s
vexing; I’m confident there is a solution. We have to find it.”
“Prior to flight, the technical team completed the most sophisticated
simulations and extensive wind tunnel tests possible. But these ground
tests have not yielded the necessary knowledge. Filling the gaps in
our understanding of hypersonic flight in this demanding regime
requires that we be willing to fly,” said DARPA Director Regina Dugan.
“In the April 2010 test, we obtained four times the amount of data
previously available at these speeds. Today more than 20 air, land,
sea and space data collection systems were operational. We’ll learn.
We’ll try again. That’s what it takes.”
According to Schulz, three technical challenges exist within this HTV-2
flight regime. They are categorized as aerodynamic; aerothermal; and
guidance, navigation and control. And each phase of flight introduces
unique obstacles within these areas.
“To address these obstacles, DARPA has assembled a team of experts that
will analyze the flight data collected during today’s test flight,
expanding our technical understanding of this incredibly harsh flight
regime,” explained Schulz. “As today’s flight indicates, high-Mach
flight in the atmosphere is virtually uncharted territory. ”
The first and only flight of Japan's Hypersonic Flight Experiment (HYFLEX)
happened in February 1996. Some readers might wonder why I elect to engage
in this exercise, injecting HYFLEX into the broader coverage of the HTV-2 testflight.
It is, they might argue, kind of like comparing apples to oranges.
I disagree because each of these experimental hypersonic flights -
albeit happening many years apart - involved hypersonic performance on
a sub-orbital trajectory.
A sustained air-launched hypersonic breakthrough has already been achieved
via the X-43 anyway. This is mentioned here as a matter of fact and not as a means
of triggering a broader discussion as to why the U.S. is so intent upon pursuing the
HTV solution in its quest for a "Prompt Global Strike" platform in the first place.
There is also no question that the entire HTV program involves more ambitious demonstrations including much longer flights and higher speeds than HYFLEX - Mach 20 vs Mach 15 - and yet HYFLEX flew over 700 miles in just over 3-1/2 minutes to its intended splashdown point.
The role of the two-stage J-1 booster in this HYFLEX deployment more
than 15 years ago in an attempt to bring the whole H-II Orbiting
Plane-Experimental (HOPE-X) concept one step closer to reality in this
instance was noteworthy in itself.
The dimensions of HYFLEX are often overlooked. It weighed just over
1000kg with a length of 4.4m along with a wingspan of 1.36m and a
height of just over 1m. This modest attempt by the then National Space
Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) along with the NAL and ISAS did
succeed. A malfunction of the flotation device for this spacecraft is
what sent HYFLEX to the bottom of the Pacific. Otherwise this
testflight was a remarkable event.
HYFLEX was all about demonstrating guidance and control technology -
something to keep in mind while DARPA ponders how it lost control of
both of its HTV's. Alteration of its flight trajectory using
aerodynamic forces took place in a relatively routine and predictable
fashion.
Here in a nutshell is how the HYFLEX flight proceeded -
"The vehicle was launched from Tanegashima Space Center on a trajectory
with a maximum altitude of 110km. It was released from the launch
vehicle while traveling at a speed of approximately 3.9km/s and
performed a gliding right turn around Chichi-Jima Island in the
Ogasawara Islands group while flying at maximum Mach number of 15. It
finally splashed down in the Pacific using a parachute northeast of
Chichi-Jima."
See this report -
http://www.rocket.jaxa.jp/fstrc/0c02.html
This same report highlighted the autonomous automatic flight control
system aboard HYFLEX.
"The vehicle's trajectory and attitude are regulated by guidance and
control laws programmed into an onboard computer, based on the
vehicle's attitude, position and velocity measured by an Inertial
Measurement Unit (IMU). Attitude control commands from the computer are
used to drive to the elevons and RCS. Guidance commands are computed
once per second, and control commands 20 times a second" the report
states. "Guidance that satisfies all flight limits, such as aerodynamic
heating rate and dynamic pressure, and depletes the kinetic energy
exactly at the destination, is performed on this plane. It can be seen
that guidance was performed properly in the experiment. Moreover,
HYFLEX demonstrated its ability to accurately reach a destination by
the fact that it splashed down only around 3km from the planned point."
Again this happened in early 1996. I intentionally bypass a discussion
here of the HYFLEX thermal protection system due to space limitations.
Any detailed discussion of flight data is also not included here for
the same reason. What exactly the Japanese and the French learned in 2003 after dropping a 500kg model of the Hope-X several times from balloons launched high over Sweden is unknown to me.
Defense must now prepare its formal analysis of the flight of the
Falcon HTV-2 on August 11. The loss of HTV-2 follows on the heels of
the HTV-1 failure last year and it will put quite a bit of pressure on
the team at a time when the U.S. is discussing enormous cutbacks
in defense spending including money for R&D.
Here is an excerpt from the DARPA release issued soon after the HTV-2 flight.
“Here’s what we know,” said Air Force Maj. Chris Schulz, DARPA HTV-2
program manager and PhD in aerospace engineering. “We know how to
boost the aircraft to near space. We know how to insert the aircraft
into atmospheric hypersonic flight. We do not yet know how to achieve
the desired control during the aerodynamic phase of flight. It’s
vexing; I’m confident there is a solution. We have to find it.”
“Prior to flight, the technical team completed the most sophisticated
simulations and extensive wind tunnel tests possible. But these ground
tests have not yielded the necessary knowledge. Filling the gaps in
our understanding of hypersonic flight in this demanding regime
requires that we be willing to fly,” said DARPA Director Regina Dugan.
“In the April 2010 test, we obtained four times the amount of data
previously available at these speeds. Today more than 20 air, land,
sea and space data collection systems were operational. We’ll learn.
We’ll try again. That’s what it takes.”
According to Schulz, three technical challenges exist within this HTV-2
flight regime. They are categorized as aerodynamic; aerothermal; and
guidance, navigation and control. And each phase of flight introduces
unique obstacles within these areas.
“To address these obstacles, DARPA has assembled a team of experts that
will analyze the flight data collected during today’s test flight,
expanding our technical understanding of this incredibly harsh flight
regime,” explained Schulz. “As today’s flight indicates, high-Mach
flight in the atmosphere is virtually uncharted territory. ”
The first and only flight of Japan's Hypersonic Flight Experiment (HYFLEX)
happened in February 1996. Some readers might wonder why I elect to engage
in this exercise, injecting HYFLEX into the broader coverage of the HTV-2 testflight.
It is, they might argue, kind of like comparing apples to oranges.
I disagree because each of these experimental hypersonic flights -
albeit happening many years apart - involved hypersonic performance on
a sub-orbital trajectory.
A sustained air-launched hypersonic breakthrough has already been achieved
via the X-43 anyway. This is mentioned here as a matter of fact and not as a means
of triggering a broader discussion as to why the U.S. is so intent upon pursuing the
HTV solution in its quest for a "Prompt Global Strike" platform in the first place.
There is also no question that the entire HTV program involves more ambitious demonstrations including much longer flights and higher speeds than HYFLEX - Mach 20 vs Mach 15 - and yet HYFLEX flew over 700 miles in just over 3-1/2 minutes to its intended splashdown point.
The role of the two-stage J-1 booster in this HYFLEX deployment more
than 15 years ago in an attempt to bring the whole H-II Orbiting
Plane-Experimental (HOPE-X) concept one step closer to reality in this
instance was noteworthy in itself.
The dimensions of HYFLEX are often overlooked. It weighed just over
1000kg with a length of 4.4m along with a wingspan of 1.36m and a
height of just over 1m. This modest attempt by the then National Space
Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) along with the NAL and ISAS did
succeed. A malfunction of the flotation device for this spacecraft is
what sent HYFLEX to the bottom of the Pacific. Otherwise this
testflight was a remarkable event.
HYFLEX was all about demonstrating guidance and control technology -
something to keep in mind while DARPA ponders how it lost control of
both of its HTV's. Alteration of its flight trajectory using
aerodynamic forces took place in a relatively routine and predictable
fashion.
Here in a nutshell is how the HYFLEX flight proceeded -
"The vehicle was launched from Tanegashima Space Center on a trajectory
with a maximum altitude of 110km. It was released from the launch
vehicle while traveling at a speed of approximately 3.9km/s and
performed a gliding right turn around Chichi-Jima Island in the
Ogasawara Islands group while flying at maximum Mach number of 15. It
finally splashed down in the Pacific using a parachute northeast of
Chichi-Jima."
See this report -
http://www.rocket.jaxa.jp/fstrc/0c02.html
This same report highlighted the autonomous automatic flight control
system aboard HYFLEX.
"The vehicle's trajectory and attitude are regulated by guidance and
control laws programmed into an onboard computer, based on the
vehicle's attitude, position and velocity measured by an Inertial
Measurement Unit (IMU). Attitude control commands from the computer are
used to drive to the elevons and RCS. Guidance commands are computed
once per second, and control commands 20 times a second" the report
states. "Guidance that satisfies all flight limits, such as aerodynamic
heating rate and dynamic pressure, and depletes the kinetic energy
exactly at the destination, is performed on this plane. It can be seen
that guidance was performed properly in the experiment. Moreover,
HYFLEX demonstrated its ability to accurately reach a destination by
the fact that it splashed down only around 3km from the planned point."
Again this happened in early 1996. I intentionally bypass a discussion
here of the HYFLEX thermal protection system due to space limitations.
Any detailed discussion of flight data is also not included here for
the same reason. What exactly the Japanese and the French learned in 2003 after dropping a 500kg model of the Hope-X several times from balloons launched high over Sweden is unknown to me.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Japan elevates its space security agenda
From "DEFENSE OF JAPAN 2011" (Provisional Translation)
http://www.mod.go.jp/e/publ/w_paper/2011.html
Part II The Basics of Japan’s Defense Policy and Build-up of Defense Capability
1. Efforts for Development and Use of Space (excerpts)
http://www.mod.go.jp/e/publ/w_paper/2011.html
Part II The Basics of Japan’s Defense Policy and Build-up of Defense Capability
1. Efforts for Development and Use of Space (excerpts)
For Japan, a country which has an exclusively defense-oriented policy, the use of space, which does not
belong to the national territory of any country and is not constrained by conditions such as surface
topography, is extremely important for strengthening information gathering functions for detecting signs
of various contingencies in advance, for strengthening warning and surveillance functions for use in sea
and air zones in the neighborhood of Japan, and for ensuring means of communication in the international
peace cooperation activities of the SDF.
also -
In the future, the Ministry of Defense intends to vigorously conduct examinations on specific measures, in
coordination with related ministries, including the Cabinet Secretariat, based on the Basic Guidelines and
the Basic Plan for Space Policy in order to promote new development and use of space in the security
field. In FY2011, it will address projects such as 1) research for enhancement of C4ISR utilizing space, 2)
enhance space-based communication capability, and 3) expanded use of imagery from commercial
satellites.Section 5. New Efforts Based on Recent Trends
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Talk of a satellite takedown may be too extreme for Tokyo
| Tonight (July 27), according to the data provided on the "Heavens Above" web site, two Japanese spy satellites - IGS - 1A and IGS - 1B - will pass overhead between 9 and 11PM, and each will be clearly visible here in Maine. See- http://www.heavens-above.com/ For IGS-1B in particular, time is running out. Launched in March 2003, and orbiting at an altitude of approximately 450 km, this Japanese spy satellite is starting to show signs that gravity is winning out and slowly bringing this satellite down. Identified officially as USSPACECOM Catalog No.: 27699 and International Designation Code: 2003-009-B, it is heading back to Earth soon, and what exactly the Japanese government is going to do about it, if anything, is unknown. For months, veteran amateur satellite observers based in Canada and Europe in particular have started to attract Tokyo's attention. These sky-scanning enthusiasts are actively comparing and contrasting the situation surrounding IGS - 1B with the situation surrounding USA 193, the satellite which was shot down by the U.S. Navy in 2008. Fortunately, if the numbers are correct, the fuel loads aboard the two satellites are vastly different with IGS-1B holding just a small percentage of the amount in USA 193's fuel tank. See - http://www.sattrackcam.blogspot.com/ One prediction calls for a possible re-entry by IGS-1B to occur at approximately this time next year. If and when it occurs, the fate of the hydrazine fuel load will be anyone's guess, because guessing is about all that everyone can do save for a few Tokyo government insiders and Japanese contract personnel who know exactly how much fuel was on board this satellite at the time it was launched 8 years ago. The U.S. government undertook its 2008 shootdown was because it was a prudent public health measure based on the toxicity of hydrazine, but this stance was criticized from the start, and I must admit that I had a hard time buying this argument. See - http://www.informationdissemination.net/ But now, because of this precedent set by the US Navy, Tokyo will have to grapple with the same logic. A decision will have to be made, and the process surrounding how this decision is made will have to be very transparent as well. Launching a strike and shooting down IGS-1B using a Japanese warship equipped with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System may seem farfetched, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. Just ask the crew of the USS Lake Erie. Timing is everything, and what makes the timeframe for a possible interception of IGS - 1B even more sensitive is that Japan's MoD is very much aware of the fact that whatever happens, it will closely follow next year's "Juniper Cobra" exercise which is expected to feature the most spectacular display of U.S. and Israeli anti- missile technology ever seen, including the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), and, the Israeli Arrow 2 and Iron Dome systems. Will the fact that a U.S. Navy cruiser engages in a full demonstration of its Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System during "Juniper Cobra" compel the Japanese MSDF to match this display with a display of its own and take down IGS - 1B in the process? What if the results of "Juniper Cobra" are less than satisfactory, will such results bear on what might take place shortly thereafter in the Pacific? Again, these questions only apply to the late 2012 projected descent. On account of the billions of dollars spent thus far, this all about proving that the interception of inbound missiles in real-time now enjoys a zero-defect status, and that defensive platforms now exist to accomplish this task in a rapid and reliable manner. This is a sensitive topic indeed in Tokyo thanks to North Korea's aggressive posturing lately. The Japanese people may not be wildly enthusiastic about such anti-missile exercises, but the flip side is to simply let IGS-1B fall out of the sky on its own. Based on the argument used for the shootdown of USA 193, that could have devastating consequences, especially if IGS-1B suddenly descends upon a heavily populated area. So the Japanese might start asking themselves what they want to see happen and why. The Japanese government might want to have its answers ready soon too concerning how much fuel is on board and what it sees as a likely outcome. |
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