SSP

Japan

Spacecraft n°:

Japanese satellite n°: 128
Also called: Solar Sail.

Launch data:

Designation 06005B
Launch date 21 Feb 2006 - 21:28 UT
Launch site Uchinoura
Launch vehicle  M-5 (2)
Mission Technology
Perigee / Apogee  km
Inclination °
Period  min

SSP (from onboard camera) [JAXA]


Spacecraft data:

Prime contractor  JAXA
Operator JAXA
Platform  
Mass at launch   kg
Dry Mass  kg
Basic shape  
Dimension (m) 
Propulsion  none
Design lifetime  

Mission details:

  • The SSP (solar sail sub payload, soraseiru sabupeiro-do) is a experimental 15-meter diameter solar sail, based on the experience of a earlier suborbital mission. The solar sail experiment was mounted on the second stage of the M-5 launch vehicle instead of balast and was to deploy after the primary and piggy-back satellites were jettisoned.

  • The other secondary payload, a 15-meter-diameter solar sail (SSP, solar sail sub payload, soraseiru sabupeiro-do) deployed from the stage at 21:46 UTC but opened incompletely.
    Ref.: #7(JR562), #14 - update: 19.08.06