SLATS
| SLATS | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Technology testing satellite |
| Country: |
 Japan
|
| Operator: |
 JAXA
|
| COSPAR-ID : | 2017-082B |
| Mission dates | |
| Dimensions: | 400 kg |
| Size: | 2.5 m × 5.2 m × 0.9 m |
| Begin: | December 23, 2017, 1:26 UTC |
| Starting place: | Tanegashima Space Center , YLP |
| Launcher: | H-2A |
| Re-entry : | 2nd October 2019 |
| Orbit data | |
| Orbit inclination : | 98.3 ° |
| Apogee height : | 635.6 km |
| Perigee height : | 464.9 km |
SLATS (or Super Low Altitude Test Satellite , Tsubame ( Japanese つ ば め 'swallow' )) is a technology testing satellite of the Japanese space agency JAXA .
It was launched into Earth orbit along with GCOM-C on December 23, 2017 with an H-IIA launcher from the Tanegashima Space Center rocket launch site.
The satellite is equipped with an ion engine, which should allow it to operate in a very low orbit without re-entering the earth's atmosphere. Once launched, SLATS will lower its orbit to 180 to 268 kilometers using four one-newton hydrazine engines. At this altitude, air resistance would normally cause a satellite's orbit to descend relatively quickly, which the ion thrusters prevent. SLATS carries ten kilograms of xenon as a supporting mass, with the ion engine generating between 10 and 28 micronewtons of thrust. The engine needs more than 370 watts of power to generate thrust, which is provided by the extendable solar panels of the satellite, which are able to generate up to 1,140 watts.
In addition, the satellite carries out three experiments. The Atomic Oxygen Fluence Sensor (AOFS) uses eight quartz crystal microbalances to monitor the mass of polyimide film samples mounted on the satellite. The mass decreases as the film reacts with oxygen atoms in the upper atmosphere, so the amount of atomic oxygen present can be calculated. The Material Degradation Monitor (MDM) will use a camera to monitor material samples attached to the underside of the satellite and examine how they react to exposure to space. The Optical Sensor (OPS) is a small earth observation camera that is used to determine the degree of improvement in image resolution that can be achieved when the satellite is placed in a lower orbit. It is expected that SLATS will be operational for at least two years.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ eoportal.org: SLATS - eoPortal Directory - Satellite Missions , accessed December 30, 2017
- ↑ n2yo.com: SLATS Satellite details 2017-082B NORAD 43066 , accessed December 30, 2017
- ↑ a b nasaspaceflight.com: Japanese H-IIA rocket launches GCOM-C mission - NASASpaceFlight.com , accessed December 30, 2017