Shin'en (spacecraft)
Encyclopedia
Shin'en, known before launch as UNITEC-1 or UNISEC Technology Experiment Carrier 1, is a Japan
ese student spacecraft which was intended to make a flyby of Venus
in order to study the effects of interplanetary spaceflight
on spacecraft computers. In doing so, it was intended to become the first student-built spacecraft to operate beyond Geocentric orbit
. It was operated by UNISEC, a collaboration between several Japanese universities.
Contact was lost shortly after launch.
or stabilisation system. Power is provided by solar cell
s attached to the outside of the spacecraft, which will produce around 25 Watts of electricity.
The primary payload of Shin'en consists of six university-built computers, which will be tested in interplanetary space for robustness against the radiation and extremes of temperature. The spacecraft also carries a camera, and a radiation counter. In order to simplify the system and reduce cost, a low power communications system will be used. It will broadcast a continuous wave
with a data transfer rate of one bit per second. UNISEC has invited amateur radio
operators to assist in collecting data from the spacecraft.
at the Tanegashima Space Centre
, at 21:58:22 UTC on 20 May 2010. It was being launched as a secondary payload aboard an H-IIA
202 rocket, with the primary payload being the Akatsuki spacecraft bound for Venus. The IKAROS
solar sail
experiment was also deployed from the same rocket on a trajectory towards Venus. Three other student spacecraft; Waseda-SAT2
, K-Sat and Negai ☆ were also launched, however they separated from the rocket whilst it was still orbiting the Earth. Shin'en was the last spacecraft to separate from the rocket. The launch was conducted by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
on behalf of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
.
The H-IIA rocket was rolled out to the launch pad on 16 May 2010, departing the assembly building at 21:01 UTC and arriving at the launch pad 24 minutes later at 21:25 UTC, in preparation for a launch scheduled at 21:44:14 UTC on 17 May. The terminal countdown began at 11:30 UTC on 17 May and by 15:28, the loading of cryogenic propellant into the rocket's first and second stages had been completed. This launch attempt was scrubbed a few minutes before the scheduled launch time due to bad weather.
Following launch, Shin'en separated from the carrier rocket into a heliocentric orbit
. It was planned to fly past Venus six or seven months into its mission.
Signals from the craft were briefly detected after launch, but contact was then lost. The last signals were received at 15:43 UTC on 21 May 2010, when the spacecraft was 320000 kilometres (198,839.3 mi) from Earth. UNISEC explains that Shin'en is the first student spacecraft passed over Van Allen radiation belt
. Shin'en is expected to be near Venus as of December 2010.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese student spacecraft which was intended to make a flyby of Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
in order to study the effects of interplanetary spaceflight
Spaceflight
Spaceflight is the act of travelling into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft which may, or may not, have humans on board. Examples of human spaceflight include the Russian Soyuz program, the U.S. Space shuttle program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station...
on spacecraft computers. In doing so, it was intended to become the first student-built spacecraft to operate beyond Geocentric orbit
Geocentric orbit
A geocentric orbit involves any object orbiting the Earth, such as the Moon or artificial satellites. Currently there are approximately 2,465 artificial satellites orbiting the Earth and 6,216 pieces of space debris as tracked by the Goddard Space Flight Center...
. It was operated by UNISEC, a collaboration between several Japanese universities.
Contact was lost shortly after launch.
Spacecraft
Shin'en measures 30 by, and has a mass of 20 kilograms (44.1 lb). It has no attitude controlAttitude control system
In spaceflight, the attitude control system or attitude determination and control system of a spacecraft consists of equipment to measure, report and change the orientation of the vehicle.- Components :...
or stabilisation system. Power is provided by solar cell
Solar cell
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
s attached to the outside of the spacecraft, which will produce around 25 Watts of electricity.
The primary payload of Shin'en consists of six university-built computers, which will be tested in interplanetary space for robustness against the radiation and extremes of temperature. The spacecraft also carries a camera, and a radiation counter. In order to simplify the system and reduce cost, a low power communications system will be used. It will broadcast a continuous wave
Continuous wave
A continuous wave or continuous waveform is an electromagnetic wave of constant amplitude and frequency; and in mathematical analysis, of infinite duration. Continuous wave is also the name given to an early method of radio transmission, in which a carrier wave is switched on and off...
with a data transfer rate of one bit per second. UNISEC has invited amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
operators to assist in collecting data from the spacecraft.
Launch
The launch of Shin'en was successfully conducted from Pad 1 of the Yoshinobu Launch ComplexYoshinobu Launch Complex
The Yoshinobu Launch Complex, also known as Launch Area Y, Area Y or LA-Y, is a launch complex at the Tanegashima Space Centre, used by the H-II and H-IIA carrier rockets. The complex is also used by the H-IIB, which was first launched on 10 September 2009...
at the Tanegashima Space Centre
Tanegashima Space Center
The is one of Japan's space development facilities. It is located on Tanegashima, an island located 115 km south of Kyūshū. It was established in 1969 when the National Space Development Agency of Japan was formed...
, at 21:58:22 UTC on 20 May 2010. It was being launched as a secondary payload aboard an H-IIA
H-IIA
H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary...
202 rocket, with the primary payload being the Akatsuki spacecraft bound for Venus. The IKAROS
IKAROS
IKAROS is a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency experimental spacecraft. The spacecraft was launched on 21 May, 2010, aboard an H-IIA rocket, together with the Akatsuki probe and four other small spacecraft...
solar sail
Solar sail
Solar sails are a form of spacecraft propulsion using the radiation pressure of light from a star or laser to push enormous ultra-thin mirrors to high speeds....
experiment was also deployed from the same rocket on a trajectory towards Venus. Three other student spacecraft; Waseda-SAT2
Waseda-SAT2
Waseda-SAT2 is a Japanese satellite which launched in May 2010. It is a student-built spacecraft, which will be operated by Waseda University, and is intended to be used for Earth observation and technology demonstration. It will test the use of extendible paddles to provide attitude control...
, K-Sat and Negai ☆ were also launched, however they separated from the rocket whilst it was still orbiting the Earth. Shin'en was the last spacecraft to separate from the rocket. The launch was conducted by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
, or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
on behalf of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
The , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the...
.
The H-IIA rocket was rolled out to the launch pad on 16 May 2010, departing the assembly building at 21:01 UTC and arriving at the launch pad 24 minutes later at 21:25 UTC, in preparation for a launch scheduled at 21:44:14 UTC on 17 May. The terminal countdown began at 11:30 UTC on 17 May and by 15:28, the loading of cryogenic propellant into the rocket's first and second stages had been completed. This launch attempt was scrubbed a few minutes before the scheduled launch time due to bad weather.
Following launch, Shin'en separated from the carrier rocket into a heliocentric orbit
Heliocentric orbit
A heliocentric orbit is an orbit around the Sun. All planets, comets, and asteroids in our Solar System are in such orbits, as are many artificial probes and pieces of debris. The moons of planets in the Solar System, by contrast, are not in heliocentric orbits as they orbit their respective planet...
. It was planned to fly past Venus six or seven months into its mission.
Signals from the craft were briefly detected after launch, but contact was then lost. The last signals were received at 15:43 UTC on 21 May 2010, when the spacecraft was 320000 kilometres (198,839.3 mi) from Earth. UNISEC explains that Shin'en is the first student spacecraft passed over Van Allen radiation belt
Van Allen radiation belt
The Van Allen radiation belt is a torus of energetic charged particles around Earth, which is held in place by Earth's magnetic field. It is believed that most of the particles that form the belts come from solar wind, and other particles by cosmic rays. It is named after its discoverer, James...
. Shin'en is expected to be near Venus as of December 2010.