WINDS

Not to be confused with Wind (spacecraft).

WINDS (Kizuna)
Launch of WINDS (Kizuna) on H-IIA Flight 14.
Mission typeCommunication
OperatorJAXA/NICT
COSPAR ID2008-007A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.32500
WebsiteJAXA
Mission duration5 years (design)
Final: 11 years, 4 days
Spacecraft properties
BusNX-G[1]
ManufacturerNEC
Launch mass4,850 kilograms (10,690 lb)
BOL mass2,750 kilograms (6,060 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date23 February 2008, 08:55 (2008-02-23UTC08:55Z) UTC
RocketH-IIA
Launch siteTanegashima Y1
ContractorMitsubishi
End of mission
DisposalDecommissioned
Deactivated27 February 2019, 06:54 (2019-02-27UTC06:55Z) UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeGeostationary
Longitude143° East
Semi-major axis42,164 kilometres (26,199 mi)
Perigee altitude35,784.1 kilometres (22,235.2 mi)
Apogee altitude35,803.8 kilometres (22,247.4 mi)
Inclination0.2 °
Period1,436.1 minutes
Epoch00:00:00 UTC 2016-08-31[2]

WINDS (Wideband InterNetworking engineering test and Demonstration Satellite, also known as Kizuna), was a Japanese communication satellite. Launch was originally scheduled for 2007. The launch date was eventually set for 15 February 2008, but a problem detected in a second stage maneuvering thruster delayed it to 23 February. Lift-off occurred at 08:55 GMT on 23 February from Tanegashima Space Center, and the satellite separated from its H-IIA carrier rocket into a Geosynchronous transfer orbit at 09:23. WINDS was used to relay the internet to Japanese homes and businesses through Ka-Band signals. It also tested technologies that would be utilised by future Japanese communication satellites. A part of Japan's i-Space program, WINDS was operated by JAXA and NICT.

Prior to launch, a JAXA brochure claimed that WINDS will be able to provide 155 Mbit/s download speeds to home users with 45-centimetre diameter satellite dishes, while providing industrial users via 5-metre diameter dishes with 1.2 Gbit/s speeds.[3]

WINDS had a launch mass of 4,850 kg, reducing to a mass of around 2,750 kg after thrusting to its operational orbit. The spacecraft is 8 m x 3 m x 2 m in size, and its solar panels have a span of 21.5 metres. It has three-axis stabilisation, and a design life expectancy of five years.

The satellite became inoperable due to communications failure on 9 February 2019,[4] and it was decommissioned by the transmission of a deactivation command at 06:54 GMT on 27 February 2019.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference spacenews-20141124 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference n2yo-32500date20160831 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "JAXA - 超高速インターネット衛星―WINDS" (PDF). JAXA. 26 December 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference jaxa20190213 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference jaxa20190301 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).