Hakucho

For the Japanese train service, see Hakuchō (train).

Hakucho (CORSA-B)

Hakucho (also known as CORSA-b before launch) was Japan's first X-ray astronomy satellite, developed by the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science (then a division of the University of Tokyo). It was launched by the ISAS M-3C-4 rocket on February 21, 1979 and reentered the atmosphere on April 16, 1985.

It was a replacement for the CORSA satellite which failed to launch due to rocket failure on February 4, 1976.

Highlights

Discovery of soft X-ray transient Cen X-4 and Aql X-1
Discovery of many burst sources
Long-term monitoring of X-ray pulsar (e.g. Vela X-1)
Discovery of 2 Hz variability in the Rapid Burster later named Quasi Period Oscillation.

External links

Space observatories

Current	AGILE AMS-02 Chandra (AXAF) Fermi Gaia Hinode (Solar-B) HiRISE Hisaki (Sprint-A) Hubble INTEGRAL IBEX IRIS Kepler MAXI MOST NEOSSat NuSTAR Odin PAMELA R/HESSI SDO SOHO SOLAR Spektr-R Spitzer Suzaku (Astro-EII) Swift TUGSAT-1 & UniBRITE-1 WISE XMM-Newton

Planned	Astro-H (2015) Astrosat (2015) Nano-JASMINE (2015) Spektr-RG (2016) HXMT (2014–2016) NICER (2016) CHEOPS (2017) Spektr-UV (2017) TESS (2017) James Webb (JWST) (2018+) Solar-C (2019) Euclid (2020) Space Solar Telescope PLATO (2024) ATHENA (2028) LISA/eLISA (2034)

Proposals	ATLAST EXCEDE Fresnel Imager FINESSE Hypertelescope LiteBIRD New Worlds Mission NRO donation to NASA Solar-D SPICA THEIA WFIRST WISH EUSO

Completed	Akari (Astro-F) (2006–2011) ALEXIS (1993–2005) ATM (1973–1974) ASCA (Astro-D) (1993–2000) Astro-1 (BBXRT HUT) (1990) Astro-2 (HUT) (1995) Astron (1983–1989) ANS (1974–1976) BeppoSAX (1996–2003) CHIPSat (2003–2008) Compton (CGRO) (1991–2000) COROT (2006–2013) Cos-B (1975–1982) COBE (1989–1993) EPOCh (2008) EPOXI (2010) EXOSAT (1983–1986) EUVE (1992–2001) FUSE (1999–2007) Kvant-1 (1987–2001) GALEX (2003–2013) Gamma (1990–1992) Ginga (Astro-C) (1987–1991) Granat (1989–1998) Hakucho (CORSA-ｂ) (1979–1985) HALCA (MUSES-B) (1997–2005) HEAO-1 (1977–1979) Herschel (2009–2013) Hinotori (Astro-A) (1981–1991) HEAO-2 (Einstein Obs.) (1978–1982) HEAO-3 (1979–1981) HETE-2 (2000–2007?) Hipparcos (1989–1993) IUE (1978–1996) IRAS (1983) ISO (1996–1998) IRTS (1995–1996) IXAE (1996–2004) Kristall (1990–2001) LEGRI (1997–2002) MSX (1996–1997) OAO-2 (1968–1973) OAO-3 (Copernicus) (1972–1981) Orion 1/2 (1971/1973) Planck (2009–2013) RELIKT-1 (1983–1984) ROSAT (1990–1999) Rossi X-ray (RXTE) (1995–2012) SAMPEX (1992–2004) SAS-B (1972–1973) SAS-C (1975–1979) Taiyo (SRATS) (1975–1980) Tenma (Astro-B) (1983–1985) Uhuru (1970–1973) WMAP (2001–2010) 1st mission WISE (2009–2011) Yokoh (Solar-A) (1991–2001)

Lost	e.g. launch failures: OAO-1/OAO-B (1966/1970) CORSA (1976) ABRIXAS (1999) HETE (1996) WIRE (1999) ASTRO-E (2000)

Completed	hibernating after mission: SWAS (1998–2005) TRACE (1998–2010)

On hiatus	TAUVEX

Cancelled	Astro-G Constellation-X Darwin Destiny EChO Eddington FAME GEMS IXO JDEM LOFT SIM & SIMlite SNAP TPF XEUS

See also	Great Observatories program List of space telescopes

Category

Japanese space program

Organizations

JAXA
- former ISAS
- NAL
- NASDA
USEF
NICT

Earth observation

Completed	Kyokko Jikiken Denpa Ohozora Ume 1 b Fuyo-1 Momo 1 1b Midori I II Daichi

In operation	Akebono Ibuki GEOTAIL¹ Himawari Aqua¹⁷ TRMM¹ Reimei Shizuku GPM¹ Daichi-2

Planned	GCOM-C ERG EarthCARE² GOSAT-2 ALOS-3 ASNARO

Communications,
broadcasting and
positioning

Completed	Sakura (1 2a 2b 3a 3b) Yuri 1 2a 2b 3a 3b BS 2X 3H 3N Kakehashi N-STAR a b Kirari MBSat

In operation	Kodama Kizuna N-STAR (c) QZSS Michibiki

Planned	QZSS QZS-2 QZS-3 QZS-4

Engineering tests

Completed	Ohsumi Shinsei Kiku 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tansei 1 2 3 4 Myojo Ryusei Orizuru Jindai EXPRESS SFU DASH USERS SERVIS-1 SERVIS-2 Ayame 1 2 LRE Tsubasa LDREX 1 2 Micro LabSat-1 SDS-1

In operation	Ajisai Kiku-8 SDS-4

Planned	PETSAT SERVIS-3 SLATS DESTINY

Cancelled	SmartSat-1

Private
miniaturized satellites

Completed	Fuji 1 2 Kanta-kun (WEOS) HIT-SAT CUTE 1.7+APD Maido-1 Kūkai Kagayaki Negai* Waseda-SAT2 Hayato WE WISH

In operation	Fuji-3 CUTE 1 1.7+APDII XI IV V SEEDS Raijin Kiseki Hitomi Horyu 2 PROITERES RAIKO FITSAT-1

Planned	WNI satellite SPROUT TSUBAME QSAT-EOS SOMESAT

Astronomical
observation

Completed	Hinotori Tenma Ginga ASCA HALCA Yohkoh Taiyo Hakucho Akari

In operation	Suzaku Hinode Hisaki

Planned	Astro-H Nano-JASMINE Solar-C LiteBIRD WISH SPICA²

Cancelled	Astro-G

Lunar and
planetary exploration

Completed	Hayabusa Hiten Kaguya (SELENE) Sakigake Suisei

In operation	Akatsuki Hayabusa 2 IKAROS PROCYON

Failed	Nozomi Shin'en

Planned	BepiColombo (MMO)² SLIM SELENE-2 JUICE² Jupiter and Trojan asteroid exploration MELOS 1 2 Tanpopo

Cancelled	Lunar-A

Reconnaissance

Completed	IGS-Optical 1 Experimentally 3 IGS-Radar 1 2

In operation	IGS-Optical 2 3 4 Experimentally 5 IGS-Rader 3 4

Planned	IGS-Optical 5 6 IGS-Rader 5 6

Human spaceflight

Completed	H-II Transfer Vehicle 1 2 3 4

In operation	International Space Station (ISS) & Kibo¹²³⁴⁵⁶

Planned	H-II Transfer Vehicle 5 6 7 8 9 R

Cancelled	HOPE-X Fuji manned spacecraft

Italics indicates projects in development.
Superscripts indicate joint development with¹NASA, ²ESA, ³ASI, ⁴CSA, ⁵RKA, ⁶AEB and ⁷INPE.

← 1978 · Orbital launches in 1979 · 1980 →

Kosmos 1070 \| Kosmos 1071 \| Kosmos 1072 \| Molniya-3 No.23 \| Meteor-Priroda No.2-3 \| Kosmos 1073 \| SCATHA \| Kosmos 1074 \| Ayame 1 \| Kosmos 1075 \| Kosmos 1076 \| Kosmos 1077 \| Zenit-2M No.131 \| AEM-2 \| Hakucho \| Ekran No.16L \| Kosmos 1078 \| Solwind \| Soyuz 32 \| Kosmos 1079 \| Interkosmos 19 \| Meteor-2 No.4 \| Progress 5 \| Kosmos 1080 \| Kosmos 1081 · Kosmos 1082 · Kosmos 1083 · Kosmos 1084 · Kosmos 1085 · Kosmos 1086 · Kosmos 1087 · Kosmos 1088 \| OPS 3854 · OPS 6675 \| Kosmos 1089 \| Kosmos 1090 \| Kosmos 1091 \| Soyuz 33 \| Kosmos 1092 \| Molniya-1-43 \| Kosmos 1093 \| Kosmos 1094 \| Kosmos 1095 \| Gran' No.15L \| Kosmos 1096 \| Kosmos 1097 \| OPS 6292 \| Progress 6 \| Kosmos 1098 \| Kosmos 1099 \| Kosmos 1100 · Kosmos 1101 \| Kosmos 1102 \| OPS 7164 \| Kosmos 1103 \| Kosmos 1104 \| Ariel 6 \| Molniya-3 No.21 \| Soyuz 34 \| OPS 5390 \| Bhaskara 1 \| Kosmos 1105 \| OPS 7484 \| Kosmos 1106 \| Kosmos 1107 \| Kosmos 1108 \| NOAA-6 \| Kosmos 1109 \| Progress 7 (KRT-10) \| Kosmos 1110 \| Kosmos 1111 \| Gorizont No.12L \| Kosmos 1112 \| Kosmos 1113 \| Kosmos 1114 \| Kosmos 1115 \| Kosmos 1116 \| Kosmos 1117 \| Kosmos 1118 \| Unnamed \| Molniya-1-44 \| Kosmos 1119 \| Westar 3 \| RTP \| Kosmos 1120 \| Kosmos 1121 \| Kosmos 1122 \| Kosmos 1123 \| Kosmos 1124 \| Kosmos 1125 \| Kosmos 1126 \| Kosmos 1127 \| Kosmos 1128 \| HEAO-3 \| Kosmos 1129 \| Kosmos 1130 · Kosmos 1131 · Kosmos 1132 · Kosmos 1133 · Kosmos 1134 · Kosmos 1135 · Kosmos 1136 · Kosmos 1137 \| Kosmos 1138 \| OPS 1948 \| Ekran No.17L \| Kosmos 1139 \| Kosmos 1140 \| Unnamed \| Kosmos 1141 \| Molniya-1-45 \| Kosmos 1142 \| Kosmos 1143 \| Magsat \| Meteor-2 No.7 \| Interkosmos 20 \| Kosmos 1144 \| OPS 9443 · OPS 9444 \| Kosmos 1145 \| Kosmos 1146 \| Satcom 3 \| Kosmos 1147 \| Soyuz T-1 \| CAT-1 \| Gorizont No.13L \| Kosmos 1148

Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( \| ). Manned flights are indicated in bold text. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets).