Space Flyer Unit

Space Flyer Unit

Space Flyer Unit photographed from Endeavour during STS-72 mission
Mission type Technology
Operator NASDA
ISAS
NEDO
USEF
COSPAR ID 1995-011A
SATCAT no. 23521
Website www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/enterp/missions/sfu.shtml
Mission duration 10 months
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer Mitsubishi Electric
Launch mass 3,846 kilograms (8,479 lb)
Landing mass 3,492 kilograms (7,699 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date 18 March 1995, 08:01 (1995-03-18UTC08:01Z) UTC
Rocket H-II 3F
Launch site Tanegashima Yoshinobu 1
End of mission
Recovered by Space Shuttle Endeavour
STS-72
Recovery date 13 January 1996 (1996-01-14)
Landing date 20 January 1996, 07:41:41 UTC
Landing site Kennedy SLF Runway 15
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Perigee 470 kilometres (290 mi)
Apogee 492 kilometres (306 mi)
Inclination 28.4 degrees
Period 94.22 minutes
Epoch 17 April 1995[1]
Space Flyer Unit

The Space Flyer Unit (宇宙実験・観測フリーフライヤ, Uchū Jikken-Kansoku Free Flyer) was a spacecraft which was launched by Japan on Mar. 18, 1995.[2]

Technical data

The Space Flyer Unit was launched from Tanegashima Space Center from a H-II vehicle.[2] It was carrying testing materials and research data that held value to NASA. They retrieved the data from the Space Flyer Unit by Space Shuttle Endeavour on Jan. 20th, 1996 (which was 10 months after the Space Flyer Unit was launched.[2] The idea behind the implementation of the SFU was a joint effort by multiple major corporations. The ones that were involved with the launch were Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, the National Space Development Agency, and Ministry of International Trade and Industry.[3]

After the shuttle returns the SFU from space, the SFU is transported to Japan and refurbished for the next flight.[4]

Purpose

The original purposes behind the SFU were to[5]

Technology

A variety of systems that were operational within the SFU had never been implemented before. Equipment on board supported an infrared telescope, two-dimensional solar array, high voltage solar array, space plasma diagnosis, electric propulsion, material experimentation, gas dynamics, gradient heating chemicals, isothermal heating furnace and more.[6] The core system that was built into the SFU contained an octagonal aluminum truss. Inside of that were eight boxes of trapezoidal shape.[6] The SFU was connected directly to the Kagoshima Space Center.[7]

Experimentation data

There were a number of various types of experiments that were performed on board the SFU during its launch life cycle. Those experiments, and light data related to them are listed below.

See also

References

  1. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 - Main Reference-Main Reference
  3. Chronology Data-Chronology Data
  4. "SFU : Space Flyer Unit". Archived from the original on 2016-08-01. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  5. Purposes-Purposes
  6. 1 2 Experiment Data 1-Experiment Data 1
  7. Experiment Data 2-Experiment Data 2
  8. Irts Data-IRTS Data
  9. 2d array data-2d Array Data
  10. hvsa data-hvsa data
  11. Sdpd data-Sdpd data
  12. epex data-epex data
  13. mex-mex data
  14. bio-Bio
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