WINDS

Launch data: Designation  32500 / 08007A Launch date  23 Feb 2008 - 08:55 UT Launch site  Tanegashima, YLP-1 Launch vehicle  H-2A-2024 Mission  Experimental Communication Geostationary orbit on Mar 16.13, 2008: Perigee / Apogee  35776 x 35797 km Eccentricity  2.37E-04 Inclination  0.06° Period  1436.09 min

Solar array control - Credit: JAXA

Satellite PAF Assembly - Credit: JAXA

Attaching the fairing - Credit: JAXA

Mission details:

• Japan's H-IIA rocket flight F14 was launched from Tanegashima on Feb 23. F14 was an H-IIA model 2024 with 2 large SRB-A strapons and 4 small SSB strapons. The second stage first cutoff was at 0907 UTC at an altitude of 313 km. According to Mitsubishi's Japanese-language press kit (and with many thanks to a Japanese correspondent for this information) the parking orbit was 115 x 314 km x 30.1 deg.
• At 0918 UTC the second stage made a second burn to a 272 x 35806 km x 28.5 deg geostationary transfer orbit, separating from the Kizuna payload at 0923 UTC. The launch was carried out by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
• Kizuna is the Wide-band Internetworking Engineering Test and Demonstration Satellite or WINDS, and will provide high bandwidth Ka-band data relay in the Asia-Pacific region. WINDS was built by JAXA at its Tsukuba space center, with prime contractor support from NEC Toshiba Space, possibly with some construction at Keihin. Kizuna carried out its first apogee engine firing at 0029 UTC on Feb 24; on Mar 1 it reached a geostationary drift orbit of 35188 x 35824 km x 0.1 deg and began drifting east towards its final station.
• Carries ultra-fast 1.2 Gbps direct-to-home downlink in Ka-band.