Four small satellites for H-IIA unveiled

OSAKA (Kyodo) Four of six small satellites developed by students and private business operators for launch in January on an H-IIA rocket were unveiled Monday in Osaka Prefecture.

Space savers: Satellites built by students and private firms are displayed Monday in Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture. KYODO PHOTO

The satellites, including those developed by students at the University of Tokyo and Kagawa University, were shown at a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency facility in Higashiosaka, where they were brought for preparation for the launch.

The small satellites will be launched using the excess payload capacity of an H-IIA rocket that will be carrying Ibuki, a satellite to observe greenhouse gases, into orbit, according to JAXA officials.

"We will be glad if (the small satellites) safely attain their goals," a JAXA official said.

One of the satellites, Prism, developed at the University of Tokyo, aims to take high-definition images using a lens that extends about 15 cm.