MS-T5 and PLANET-A are Japanese first and second interplanetary spacecraft. The main mission of MS-T5 is the verification of the launching capability of MS-3SII rocket and the technology applied to the PLANET-A, as well as to the Japanese deep space communication network. The test spacecraft MS-T5 was successfully launched from Kagoshima Space Center (KSC) on January 8, 1985, and it was renamed SAKIGAKE. The second and main spacecraft to explore Halley's comet. PLANET-A was also successfully launched from KSC on August 19, 1985, and it was renamed SUISEI. SUISEI is headed along an interplanetary orbit for an encounter with Halley's comet on March 8, 1986. The design of SAKGAKE is almost same as SUISEI except for scientific instruments. Both spacecraft are cylindrical of 0.7 m in height and 1.4 m in diameter. The weight of SAKIGAKE and SUISEI is 138 kg and 140 kg respectively including 10 kg of initial fuel weight. These spacecraft systems are designed in compliance with the following major requirments. 1) Maximum weight should be less than 140 kg and maximum diameter should be less than 1.4 m. 2) Maximum distance between earth andspacecraft is 1.2 AU. 3) Input variation of solar energy is 1 about 2.2 solar constant. In this paper the design philosophy and characteristics of the system and the current status of these two spacecraft in flight are described.
System design of Japanese first interplanetary spacecraft
Systementwurf der ersten japanischen, interplanetaren Raumsonde
NEC Research and Development ; 81 ; 24-31
1986
8 Seiten, 4 Bilder, 3 Tabellen, 8 Quellen
Article (Journal)
English