[M-SD42] A new era of international space collaboration using microsatellites

[MSD42-01] Present status of Asian Micro-satellite Consortium

*Yukihiro Takahashi¹ (1.Department of Cosmosciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University)

Keywords:micro-satellite, Asia, Consortium

Satellite remote-sensing is useful for global monitoring. However, since the revisiting period by the most of the conventional satellite is relatively long compared to the time scale of disasters, etc., its application has been very limited. Here we promote “Asian Micro-satellite Consortium (AMC)” with a concept of “sharing”, namely, the sharing of satellite technology, data and applications. If the target pointing is possible, we can take images for any location once or twice a day only with one very small satellite. Therefore, on-demand image acquisition with several tens of micro-satellite under international agreement provides the continuous monitoring. We are developing the request system for disaster and environmental monitoring among the member countries, as well as 50-kg micro-satellites together with member countries. They can get frequent imaging opportunity at very low cost. Now the member institutions have several micro-satellites in space: RISING-2, DIWATA-1, DIWATA-2, RISESAT and MicroDragon with cutting edge spectral imagers. Moreover, we are negotiating some project with other few members as well. This world first system will provide revolutionary changes in the disaster and environmental management.