Shin'en (spacecraft)

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Shin'en
Mission typeTechnology
OperatorUNISEC
COSPAR ID2010-020F Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.36578
WebsiteUNITEC-1
Mission duration1 day (expected: at least 6–7 months)
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerUNISEC
Launch mass20 kilograms (44 lb)[1]
Dimensions35 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm
Power25 W from Solar cells
Start of mission
Launch date20 May 2010, 21:58:22
RocketH-IIA 202
Launch siteTanegashima LA-Y
End of mission
Last contact21 May 2010
Orbital parameters
Reference systemHeliocentric orbit
Perihelion altitude0.915 AU
Aphelion altitude1.089 AU
Inclination6.8°
Flyby of Venus
Closest approachIntended: December 2010
 

Shin'en,[2] known before launch as UNITEC-1 or UNISEC Technology Experiment Carrier 1, is a Japanese student spacecraft which was intended to make a flyby of Venus in order to study the effects of interplanetary spaceflight on spacecraft computers. In doing so, it was intended to become the first student-built spacecraft to operate beyond geocentric orbit. It was operated by UNISEC, a collaboration between several Japanese universities.

It was launched on 20 May 2010 and contact was lost shortly after.[3][4]

Spacecraft

Shin'en measures 30 by 35 centimetres (12 by 14 in),

attitude control or stabilisation system.[6] Power was to be provided by solar cells attached to the outside of the spacecraft, which were to produce around 25 Watts of electricity.[5]

The primary payload of Shin'en consists of six university-built computers, which were to be tested in

bit per second.[7] UNISEC has invited amateur radio operators to assist in collecting data from the spacecraft.[8]

Launch

Shin'en was successfully launched from Pad 1 of the

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
.

The H-IIA rocket was rolled out to the launch pad on 16 May 2010, departing the assembly building at 21:01 UTC and arriving at the launch pad 24 minutes later at 21:25 UTC,

cryogenic propellant into the rocket's first and second stages had been completed.[9]
This launch attempt was scrubbed a few minutes before the scheduled launch time due to bad weather.

Following launch, Shin'en separated from the carrier rocket into a heliocentric orbit. It was planned to fly past Venus six or seven months into its mission.

Signals from the craft were briefly detected after launch, but contact was then lost.[3] The last signals were received at 15:43 UTC on 21 May 2010, when the spacecraft was 320,000 kilometres (200,000 mi) from Earth.[10] UNISEC explains that Shin'en is the first student spacecraft to pass over the Van Allen radiation belt. Shin'en was expected to be near Venus as of December 2010.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "金星への相乗り衛星「UNITEC-1」" (pdf) (in Japanese). UNISEC. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  2. ^ "UNITEC-1 News" (in Japanese). UNISEC. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  3. ^ a b "First student-built interplanetary mission goes silent".
  4. ^ "UNITEC-1 Operation Center".
  5. ^ a b "About UNITEC-1". UNISEC. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  6. ^ a b Kramer, Herbert J. "UNITEC-1 (UNISEC Technology Experiment Carrier-1)". Observation of the Earth and Its Environment: Survey of Missions and Sensors. eoPortal. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  7. ^ "Downlink Specification". UNITEC-1 Operation Center. UNISEC. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  8. ^ Kurahara, Naomi. "Amateur Radio call for assistance for UNITEC-1 Venus-bound satellite". Southgate Amateur Radio Club. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  9. ^ a b "Countdown Report". H-IIA Launch Services Flight 17. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  10. ^ "UNITEC-1 news". UNISEC. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  11. ^ "『しんえん（UNITEC-1：UNISEC Technological Experiment Carrier-1）』の近況について" (in Japanese). UNISEC. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
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