5:15 PM - 6:45 PM
[PCG20-P06] Kanazawa University's first satellite KOYOH and Eduaction of Space Science and Technology at Kanazawa University
Keywords:microsatellite, KOYOH, gravitational wave, Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-3
The Kanazawa University’s first microsatellite “Satellite for X-ray transient monitoring and reporting KOYOH” was launched on Dec. 2nd, 2023 by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket at Vandenberg U.S. Space Force base in California, U.S. as an onboard satellite for JAXA's "Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-3" project. KOYOH was developed as an activity of ARC-SAT (Advanced Research Center for Space Science and Technology) and Kanazawa-SAT3 (Study and Training in Space Science and Technology for Kanazawa Cube-Satellites) project. ARC-SAT is a research center of College of Science and Technology in Kanazawa University, established on July 1, 2019. ARC-SAT has 3 research divisions: Satellite Development Division, Astronomy & Astrophysics Division and Solar-Terrestrial Science Division. And ARC-SAT is concluding "Kanazawa University Satellite Project (Kanazawa-SAT3)". In this project, a space science and engineering course has been established in the Graduate School of Natural Sciences in April 2018. This course is based on the 'satellite development by students', and students are actually involved in the design, fabrication, ground tests, and operation of scientific satellites, aiming to train personnel who are familiar with space science and space engineering, with satellite-development skills.
KOYOH is a scientific satellite which will contribute to the elucidation of the mechanism of gravitational wave generation by identifying the source of gravitational wave by detecting the arrival direction of gamma rays and X rays radiated at the same time when gravitational waves are generated by collision of astronomical objects. It is a microsatellite with a total weight of 50 kg or less, and its size is cubic with a side of 50 cm and was inserted into a solar synchronous orbit at 560 km altitude successfully. KOYOH has three communication system, S-band, UHF band and Iridium. Iridium is a satellite-based cell phone network and KOYOH has a data communication module of Iridium. Using Iridium, KOYOH will be able to send immediate reports of scientific observation events even when KOYOH is out of the ground station’s field of view. For the ground station, we have installed a parabolic antenna (2.4 m is diameter) for S-band communication and a crossed Yagi antenna (14 elements) for UHF communication. These antennas are installed at the roof of the building of Kanazawa University. The Koyo successfully communicated with the ground station during the first visible time after launch and continues to be operated stably. In this presentation, the current status of "Koyo" will be reported.
KOYOH is a scientific satellite which will contribute to the elucidation of the mechanism of gravitational wave generation by identifying the source of gravitational wave by detecting the arrival direction of gamma rays and X rays radiated at the same time when gravitational waves are generated by collision of astronomical objects. It is a microsatellite with a total weight of 50 kg or less, and its size is cubic with a side of 50 cm and was inserted into a solar synchronous orbit at 560 km altitude successfully. KOYOH has three communication system, S-band, UHF band and Iridium. Iridium is a satellite-based cell phone network and KOYOH has a data communication module of Iridium. Using Iridium, KOYOH will be able to send immediate reports of scientific observation events even when KOYOH is out of the ground station’s field of view. For the ground station, we have installed a parabolic antenna (2.4 m is diameter) for S-band communication and a crossed Yagi antenna (14 elements) for UHF communication. These antennas are installed at the roof of the building of Kanazawa University. The Koyo successfully communicated with the ground station during the first visible time after launch and continues to be operated stably. In this presentation, the current status of "Koyo" will be reported.