Tokyo, Japan, December 10, 2024 – ArkEdge Space Inc. (“ArkEdge Space”), a Japanese space startup based in Tokyo that provides comprehensive solutions from design, development and operation of micro-satellite constellations, is pleased to announce the successful deployment establishment of two 6U class small satellites developed using our 6U satellite multi-purpose bus system since FY2021: [1] AE1b (YODAKA), and [2] ONGLAISAT,, in cooperation with the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA). Both satellites were deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) and have now entered into their operational phase. Communications have been established.
The AE1b (YODAKA) and ONGLAISAT satellites were successfully deployed from the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) at 5:15:19pm and 11:17:12pm in Japan time on December 9th. On December 10th, initial communication was established with ArkEdge Space’s Makinohara Ground Station, located in Makinohara City, Shizuoka Prefecture, marking an important milestone in their operations.
Following one month of initial operations, both satellites will transition to the full operational phase, during which they will execute respective demonstration missions in orbit.
Both satellites are scheduled to perform operations, including Earth observation and data collection, over the next several months. Updates on their progress and operational status will be provided through our corporate website and other communication channels as they become available.
■About AE1b (YODAKA) mission
This project was developed as part of the “Hanamaki Space Project UP Hanamaki,” organized by SPACE VALUE (Headquarters: Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture; Representative: Shuichi Ando) and Space BD Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; co-founder and CEO: Masatoshi Nagasaki). The satellite with a mission developed by students from Hanamaki Kita High School (location: Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, Principal: Nobuaki Sasaki), was named “YODAKA” (Nighthawk in Japanese) after the work of Kenji Miyazawa, a Japanese novelist, poet, and writer from Hanamaki City from the 1890s to the 1930s.
For this mission, ArkEdge Space is responsible for the design, development, production, and operation of these satellites as part of our project to develop a 6U standard multi-purpose bus, which is funded by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2021 and, from fiscal year of 2023 and beyond, has been funded by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for the project “Research and Development Project for Information Infrastructure Improvement for Space Industry Technology (Development and Verification Support for Multi-purpose Bus for Nano-Satellites)”, and “Development and Demonstration of a 6U Standard Multi-purpose Bus and its Production and Operation System for Rapid and Efficient Production of Multiple Types of Satellites”. Specifically, this multi-purpose bus development supports the efficient production and operation of standard 6U satellite buses and their systems, an automatic operation system for multiple satellites to start full operation.
The YODAKA satellite mission plans to conduct a unique experiment of composing Japanese tanka poems, consisting of five lines in the pattern of 5-7-5 as the first verse and 7-7 as the last verse, totaling 31-syllables, from the ground and combining them to generate original poems in orbit approximately from February to March 2025.
*First verse submissions are still being accepted at the following website.
(https://up-hanamaki.com/article/239/)
AE1b deployed from ISS
■About ONGLAISAT mission
ONGLAISAT is a remote sensing satellite developed in collaboration with the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA). Its official name is ONboard Globe-Looking And Imaging Satellite, reflecting its purpose as a remote sensing satellite equipped with TASA’s newly developed optical observation components, enabling Earth observation and worldwide.
ONGLAISAT deployed from ISS
■Reference: about YODAKA and ONGLAISAT mission overview
Please refer to the following recently published press release for more details.