NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Kirari & Reimei

Launch Time
Tue Aug 23, 2005 21:09 UTC

Rocket

Dnepr
Image Credit: Yuzhnoye
Kosmotras
Status: Retired
Price: $29.0 million
Liftoff Thrust: 4,166 kN
Payload to LEO: 4,500 kg
Payload to GTO: 500 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 34.3 m
Fairing Diameter: 3.0 m
Fairing Height: 7.45 m

Mission Details

Kirari

OICETS (Optical Inter-orbit Communication Engineering Test Satellite), or Kirari, enables communications between satellites via optical links.

OICETS will enable optical inter-orbit communications tests between satellites that are tens of thousands of kilometers apart. An optical inter-orbit communications system will bring various advantages: more stable communications with less interference; lighter, more compact communications equipment; and higher data transmission rates. These tests are expected to lead to new technologies that will support the development and utilization of space, including global data reception from Earth Observation satellites and continuous communication links with a manned space station.

OICETS is to be launched into a low Earth orbit in the fiscal year 2005, in order to conduct demonstrations with ARTEMIS, the latest geostationary satellite belonging to the European Space Agency (ESA).

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 570.0 kg
Low Earth Orbit

Reimei

Reimei, or INDEX (Innovative Technology Demonstration Experiment) was built by JAXA and has a mass of 60kg. It was delivered to Baikonur on July 12, 2005 by an An-72.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 17.0 kg
Low Earth Orbit

Location

Site 109/95, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

Stats

2005

34th orbital launch attempt

Dnepr

5th mission
1st mission of 2005
5th successful mission