33493 - PRISM

PRISM, developed by the University of Tokyo, made Earth observations using an expandable refracting telescope. It served as a technology demonstration and verification of the ultra-small satellite bus and provided various amateur radio services.

This one of seven microsatellites deployed as piggyback payloads to the IBUKI spacecraft. All of these spacecraft follow a similar roughly 660 km sun-synchronous orbit. Six of the small satellites were developed by universities and private-sector companies; the seventh is a technology demonstrator for JAXA.

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2009-01-23
Launch Vehicle: H-2A
Launch Site: Tanegashima, Japan