ETS-2 Credit - NASDA

Japanese Engineering Test Satellite are intended for preliminary experiments for confirmation of the launching technologies, acquiring the satellite tracking and control technologies, and for extension tests of the extendable antennas, measurement of satellite environment, measurement of satellite attitudes, etc.

Typical orbit: 13728 x 22225 km, 24.5 deg inclinaton.

• 1975 September 9 - Kiku 1 - Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: N. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 85 kg (187 lb). Perigee: 975 km (605 mi). Apogee: 1,103 km (685 mi). Inclination: 47.00 deg. Period: 106.00 min.
  JETS-1 (Japanese Engineering Test Satellite -1, national name 'Kiku') is intended for preliminary experiments for confirmation of the launching technologies, acquiring the satellite tracking and control technologies, and for extension tests of the extenda ble antennas, measurement of satellite environment, measurement of satellite attitudes, etc. Launch time 0530 GMT.

• 1977 February 23 - Kiku 2 - Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: N. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 130 kg (280 lb). Perigee: 35,854 km (22,278 mi). Apogee: 35,860 km (22,280 mi). Inclination: 11.90 deg. Period: 1,439.70 min.
  Engineering test satellite. Engineering Test Satellite Type II (ETS II), Kiku 2. Launch by N launch vehicle no 3. Geographical longitude of the geostationary orbit: 130 deg E. Preliminary experiments to acquire technologies to launch,track, and control geostationary satellites. P ropagation experiment of millimetre and quasi-millimetre waves. Characteristics: Weight at launch 245 kg. Configuration: cylindrical. Height 191 cm including antenna. Diameter 141 cm. Attitude control: spin stabilization. Expected life at least 6 months. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Pacific Ocean at 130 deg E in 1977-1990 As of 5 September 2001 located at 16.93 deg E drifting at 0.930 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 85.65W drifting at 0.986W degrees per day.

• 1981 February 11 - Kiku 3 - Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: N. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 640 kg (1,410 lb). Perigee: 305 km (189 mi). Apogee: 16,237 km (10,089 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 294.10 min.
  Kiku 3 (ETS-IV). Launching organization NASDA. Acquisition of the technology to handle a large-scale heavy satellite and test of the functions of on-board equipment and devices, as well as confirmation of the launching capacity of the N-II launch vehicle. Also tested ion thruster.

• 1982 September 3 - Kiku 4 - Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: N. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 385 kg (848 lb). Perigee: 988 km (613 mi). Apogee: 1,006 km (625 mi). Inclination: 44.60 deg. Period: 105.10 min.
  Engineering test satellite. Engineering Test Satellite III (ETS-III) launched 0500 GMT 3 Sep 1982 from Osaki launch site, Tanegashima. Launching organization: National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). Verification of three axis attitude control function; verification of so lar array paddle deployment function; verification of active thermal control function; functional test of mission equipment in the space. N launch vehicle flight no 9.

• 1987 August 27 - Kiku 5 - Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: N. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 550 kg (1,210 lb). Perigee: 36,029 km (22,387 mi). Apogee: 36,072 km (22,414 mi). Inclination: 7.90 deg. Period: 1,449.60 min.
  Stationed at 150 deg E. ETS-V (Kiku-5). Establishment of basic technology for bus systems needed for 3-axis stabilized geostationary satellites. Accumulation of key technologies required for high performance in the next generation of applications satellites; Experiment of mobile satellite communications for the control of aircrafts over the Pacific Ocean, and for the communication, navigational aid, search and rescue of ships. H-I (3-stage) launch vehicle. Launching organization NASDA. Launch time 0920 GMT. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 150 deg E in 1987-1997 As of 5 September 2001 located at 92.55 deg W drifting at 3.394 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 49.74W drifting at 3.380W degrees per day.

• 1994 August 28 - Kiku 6 - Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: Y. Launch Vehicle: H-2. FAILURE: LAPS apogee kick motor failed to ignite. Partial Failure. Mass: 3,800 kg (8,300 lb). Perigee: 8,565 km (5,322 mi). Apogee: 38,677 km (24,032 mi). Inclination: 13.23 deg. Period: 861.84 min.
  Failed to reach geostationary orbit; Engineering Test Satellite; partial mission success. Also tested ion engines for NSSK.

• 2006 December 16 - Kiku 8 - Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: Y. Launch Vehicle: H-2. Mass: 5,817 kg (12,824 lb). Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Apogee: 35,798 km (22,243 mi). Inclination: 0.0500 deg. Period: 1,436.11 min.
  Engineering Test Satellite-8 was a Japanese prototype/operational demonstration for a number of new technologies: a large satellite bus, large-scale deployable 40-m-span antennae, mobile satellite communications system, mobile satellite digital multimedia broadcasting, and basic positioning using high-accuracy time standard devices. It will be positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 146 degrees East. JAXA developed two portable terrestrial systems to communicate directly with the satellite - a tiny telephone and a portable laptop computer. The satellite was to have a lifetime of ten years. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 145.97E drifting at 0.010W degrees per day.