JISS - national name "Ume". Spin-stabilized; Ionospheric Sounder, Radio Noise Receiver, Plasma Measuring Equipment, Ion Mass Spectrometer, and other instruments. The satellites were intended for regular observation of global distribution of critical frequencies of the ionosphere, and for utilization of the results of the observation for radio wave forecasts and warning necessary for effective operation of short-wave radio-communication. Shape: cylindrical, 3.9m diameter and 0.8m height. Expected life: probability of survival in 1.5 years was more than 70 percent.

Typical orbit: 973 km x 1216 km at 69 degrees inclination. Length: 3.90 m (12.70 ft). Maximum Diameter: 0.80 m (2.62 ft). Mass: 141 kg (310 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: N.

• 1976 February 29 - ISS 1 - Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Vehicle: N. Mass: 139 kg (306 lb). Perigee: 988 km (613 mi). Apogee: 1,003 km (623 mi). Inclination: 69.70 deg. Period: 105.00 min.

  Ionospheric sounding. Japanese Ionospheric Sounding Satellite (JISS - national name 'Ume') is intended for regular observations by means of radio waves of the global distribution of the critical frequencies of the ionosphere, and for utilization of the results of the observati on for radio wave forecasts and warning necessary for effective operation of short-wave radio-communication. Time of launch 0330UT.

• 1978 February 16 - ISS 2 - Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Vehicle: N. Mass: 140 kg (300 lb). Perigee: 973 km (604 mi). Apogee: 1,216 km (755 mi). Inclination: 69.40 deg. Period: 107.20 min.

  Ionospheric sounding. Ionosphere Sounding Satellite-b . Launch time 0400 UT. Launch vehicle: N number 4. Spin-stabilized; Ionospheric Sounder, Radio Noise Receiver, Plasma Measuring Equipment, Ion Mass Spectrometer, and so on. The satellite is intended for regular observation of global distribution of critical frequencies of the ionosphere by means of radio waves. Weight about 141 kg. Shape: cylindrical, 3.9m diameter and 0.8m height. Expected life: probability of survival in 1.5 years is more than 70 percent.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Launch Log, October 1998. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited since Sputnik. Accessed at: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/log/launch.html.

• JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Accessed at: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.

• Krebs, Gunter, Gunter's Space Page, University of Frankfurt, 1996. Accessed at: http://www.skyrocket.de/space.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• USAF Satellite Database, USAF Institute of Technology, 1995. Accessed at: ftp://archive.afit.af.mil/pub/space/.