Status
Partial Failure
Kakehashi
Sat Feb 21, 1998 07:55 UTC
Last flight of H-II. Faulty brazing in second-stage engine cooling system caused engine burn through and cable damage resulting in shutdown midway through the upper stage's second burn, leaving spacecraft in elliptical LEO instead of GTO. Spacecraft thrusters raised orbit enough to complete some communications experiments.
Rocket
Mission Details
Kakehashi
COMETS (Communication Engineering Test Satellite) a two-ton geostationary three-axis stabilized satellite, is being created to develop the new technologies required for future fields in communications and broadcasting.
Relay satellites in geostationary orbit will be used to develop the following technologies:
- Inter-orbit communications technology for relay of communications between observation satellites or space stations in low-altitude circular orbits and earth stations.
- Advanced satellite broadcast technology for broad-band region-specific broadcasts and high definition television broadcasts using K-band frequency bands.
- Development of advanced mobile satellite communications technology possessing reproduction relay and inter-beam connection functions by employing K-bands and miliband frequencies.