Planned Mission and Operation Result of Nano-Satellite STARS-II

摘要

STARS-II was launched on 28 February 2014, as one of piggy-back satellites by the H-IIA rocket. It had been developed in Kagawa University. STARS-II consists of Mother Satellite (MS) and Daughter Satellite (DS) connected by Electro Dynamic Tether (EDT). MS deploys EDT having DS at its end. DS is a tethered space robot, and it has one arm whose end is attached to the EDT. Main missions are follows: (1) Electro Dynamic Tether (EDT) deployment by gravity gradient, (2) gathering electrical current by EDT, (3) Attitude control by arm link motion under tether tension by gravity gradient, (4) Tether deployment and retrieval by tether tension control. Unfortunately, STARS-II mission could not achieved perfectly. However, the STARS-II condition can be inferred by telemetries through CW beacons and the change of orbit. This paper describes the planned missions and reports the operation results.