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The Nano-Japan Astrometry Satellite Mission for Infrared Exploration (Nano-JASMINE) is an
astrometric Astrometry is a branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestial bodies. It provides the kinematics and physical origin of the Solar System and this galaxy, the Milky Way. History ...
microsatellite A microsatellite is a tract of repetitive DNA in which certain Sequence motif, DNA motifs (ranging in length from one to six or more base pairs) are repeated, typically 5–50 times. Microsatellites occur at thousands of locations within an organ ...
developed by the
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan The (NAOJ) is an astronomy, astronomical research organisation comprising several facilities in Japan, as well as an observatory in Hawaii and Chile. It was established in 1988 as an amalgamation of three existing research organizations - the To ...
, with contributions by the
University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo (, abbreviated as in Japanese and UTokyo in English) is a public research university in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1877 as the nation's first modern university by the merger of several pre-westernisation era ins ...
's Intelligent Space Systems Laboratory (ISSL). , the satellite was planned for launch together with
CHEOPS Khufu or Cheops (died 2566 BC) was an ancient Egyptian monarch who was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, in the first half of the Old Kingdom period (26th century BC). Khufu succeeded his father Sneferu as king. He is generally accep ...
(Characterizing Exoplanets Satellite) in 2019. However, this launch took place in December 2019 without Nano-JASMINE as one of the three piggyback payloads. Some sources named 2022 as the launch year of the satellite. By 2023, the launch had been cancelled and the satellite is now displayed in
Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum Gifu-Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum is an aviation museum located in Kakamigahara in Gifu Prefecture in Japan. It is at Gifu Air Field of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Overview The museum features outdoor and indoor exhibits, featuring ...
.


Spacecraft

Nano-JASMINE is a microsatellite measuring and weighing approximately . It carries a small,
Ritchey–Chrétien telescope A Ritchey–Chrétien telescope (RCT or simply RC) is a specialized variant of the Cassegrain telescope that has a hyperboloid, hyperbolic primary mirror and a hyperbolic secondary mirror designed to eliminate off-axis optical errors (Coma (optic ...
that will make observations in the
infrared Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those ...
spectrum, allowing for easier observation toward the centre of the Milky Way. Its exterior is covered with
Gallium arsenide Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is a III-V direct band gap semiconductor with a Zincblende (crystal structure), zinc blende crystal structure. Gallium arsenide is used in the manufacture of devices such as microwave frequency integrated circuits, monoli ...
(GaAs)
solar cell A solar cell, also known as a photovoltaic cell (PV cell), is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by means of the photovoltaic effect.
s providing approximately 20
watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...
s of power. Due to limited bandwidth, Nano-JASMINE will employ a Star Image Extractor (SIE) for onboard raw image processing that will extract and transmit only specific object data.


Overview

Nano-JASMINE is Japan's first and the world's third astrometric survey spacecraft, following
Hipparcos ''Hipparcos'' was a scientific satellite of the European Space Agency (ESA), launched in 1989 and operated until 1993. It was the first space experiment devoted to precision astrometry, the accurate measurement of the positions and distances of ...
(1989) and
Gaia In Greek mythology, Gaia (; , a poetic form of ('), meaning 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea (), is the personification of Earth. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthenogenic—of all life. She is the mother of Uranus (S ...
(2013), both launched by the
European Space Agency The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 23-member International organization, international organization devoted to space exploration. With its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 2,547 people globally as of 2023, ESA was founded in 1975 ...
(ESA). It is the
pathfinder Pathfinder, Path Finder or Pathfinders may refer to: Aerospace * ''Mars Pathfinder'', a NASA Mars Lander * NASA Pathfinder, a high-altitude, solar-powered uncrewed aircraft * Space Shuttle ''Pathfinder'', a Space Shuttle test simulator Arts and ...
in a planned series of three spacecraft of increasing size and capability; the second is (originally and officially still called "Small-JASMINE") with a telescope, and the third is JASMINE with an telescope. The spacecraft is designed to have an astrometric accuracy (2–3 mas (milli-arcsecond) for stars brighter than 7.5
magnitude Magnitude may refer to: Mathematics *Euclidean vector, a quantity defined by both its magnitude and its direction *Magnitude (mathematics), the relative size of an object *Norm (mathematics), a term for the size or length of a vector *Order of ...
) comparable to Hipparcos (1 mas). Nano-JASMINE should be able to detect approximately four times the number of stars as Hipparcos. Given the time difference between these missions, combining the data sets of Nano-JASMINE and Hipparcos will constrain the positions of stars whose current positions are poorly known owing to uncertainty in their motion since being measured by Hipparcos, and should provide an order-of-magnitude increase in the accuracy of
proper motion Proper motion is the astrometric measure of changes in the apparent places of stars or other celestial objects as they move relative to the center of mass of the Solar System. It is measured relative to the distant stars or a stable referenc ...
measurements (approximately 0.1 mas/year; 0.2 mas/year for stars brighter than 9 magnitude). Nano-JASMINE had been scheduled for launch aboard a
Tsyklon-4 The Tsyklon-4, also known as Tsiklon-4 and Cyclone-4, was a Ukrainian carrier rocket which was being developed for commercial satellite launches. Derived from the Tsyklon-3, it had a new third stage, a larger payload fairing, and a modernised fl ...
launch vehicle from the
Brazilian Space Agency The Brazilian Space Agency (; AEB) is the civilian authority in Brazil responsible for the country's Space exploration, space program. It operates a spaceport at Centro de Lançamento de Alcântara, Alcântara, and a rocket launch site at Centro ...
's
Alcântara Launch Center Alcantara, Alcântara ( Portuguese), Alcántara (Spanish), Alcàntara, Alcàntera, El-Qantarah and (El) Kantara are all transliterations of the Arabic word ''al-qantara'' (القنطرة), meaning "the bridge". Alcantara may refer to: People * ...
(CLA). The launch was originally contracted for August 2011, but was delayed to the November 2013 to March 2014 time frame. Various issues have held back its launch, first due to delays in both the construction of the launch site and development of the launch vehicle, and later due to Brazil backing out of the Tsyklon-4 partnership with Ukraine leading to the rocket's indefinite hold. In March 2015, talks to arrange a flight for Nano-JASMINE began between NAOJ and ESA. It was to be launched as a
piggyback Piggyback, piggy-back, or piggybacking may mean: Transport * Piggyback (transportation), something that is riding on the back of something else Art, entertainment, and media * Splash cymbal piggybacking, mounting a cymbal on top of an already ...
payload with
CHEOPS Khufu or Cheops (died 2566 BC) was an ancient Egyptian monarch who was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, in the first half of the Old Kingdom period (26th century BC). Khufu succeeded his father Sneferu as king. He is generally accep ...
on a
Soyuz Soyuz is a transliteration of the Cyrillic text Союз (Russian language, Russian and Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, 'Union'). It can refer to any union, such as a trade union (''profsoyuz'') or the Soviet Union, Union of Soviet Socialist Republi ...
launch vehicle in 2019. As of late 2020, the launch of Nano-JASMINE was scheduled for 2022. In 2023, the launch was cancelled and the satellite was put on permanent display. Nano-JASMINE will be succeeded by a larger spacecraft, JASMINE (formerly "Small-JASMINE"), which is planned to be launched in 2028 by an Epsilon launch vehicle.


References


External links


JASMINE project website
at JASMINE-Galaxy.org

by the University of Tokyo {{Future spaceflights Space astrometry missions Parallax Proposed spacecraft Satellites of Japan Space telescopes 2020s in spaceflight