Press Release

Move to Operation Phase of “Kodama”

By SpaceRef Editor

January 10, 2003

Filed under Japan, National Space Development Agency of Japan

The Data Relay Test Satellite (DRTS) “Kodama”, that the National Space
Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) launched from Tanegashima Space
Center on 10 September 2002 (Japan Standard Time, which shall apply
hereinafter), has completed its initial function verification test
and moves to the operation phase on 10 January 2003.

During the operation phase of about seven years, NASDA will try to
build up more sophisticated inter-satellite communications technology
using DRTS “Kodama” to relay data between the ground stations and
spacecraft orbiting the low to mid altitude (about 300 to 1,000 km)
such as Midori-II(*1), planned Kibo(*2), and so on.

*1:It refers to the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-II (ADEOS-II), which was launched on 14 December 2002. http://www.nasda.go.jp/projects/sat/adeos2/index_e.html

*2:This is the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) to be attached to the International Space Station.
http://jem.tksc.nasda.go.jp/index_e.html