ETS 8 launched into geostationary orbit

"Japan's largest satellite was launched by the nation's most powerful rocket Monday to begin a mission testing technologies to aid the burgeoning mobile communications industry.

Liftoff of Japan's eighth Engineering Test Satellite occurred at 0632 GMT (1:32 a.m. EST) from the Yoshinobu launch complex at the Tanegashima space center."

"The craft will be permanently located in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles over the Equator at 146 degrees East longitude, where it will match the Earth's rotation and appear to hover directly above the Pacific Ocean near New Guinea.

Also called Kiku 8, the spacecraft carries a pair of solar array wings and two large reflector antennas, which will both span more than 130 feet tip-to-tip when deployments are complete. Each antenna has dimensions of about 62 feet by 56 feet, or about the area of a tennis court, according to JAXA."

"Each antenna contains 14 hexagonal modules. Engineers plan to use one for transmitting signals and the other as a receiver.

From its post in space, ETS 8's large antennas will have enough power to reach small portable user terminals across Japan. An on-board S-band communications system will facilitate the experiments.

ETS 8 will be able to directly communicate with hand-held devices modeled after cell phones and computers. JAXA developed two units specifically for use in tests with ETS 8 - a tiny phone-like unit and a portable device similar to a laptop computer."

Source: Space.com, "Japan Launches Advanced Communications Test Satellite" ( http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/0601219_sfn_japan_sat.html)