Andrew Yee[_1_]
April 24th 08, 06:06 PM
Public Affairs Department
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Marunouchi Kitaguchi Building
1-6-5, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8260
Japan
TEL: +81-3-6266-6400
Joint release:
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)
April 8, 2008 (JST)
World's Fastest Satellite Internet Connection to 45 cm User Terminal Using
Wideband InterNetworking engineering test and Demonstration Satellite
"KIZUNA" (WINDS)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and National Institute
of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) performed a
verification of regenerative switching functions between an ultra
small-size user terminal (45 cm-diameter antenna) and a high-speed
small ground station (1.2 m-diameter antenna) using the onboard
multi-beam antenna [1] of "KIZUNA," and confirmed that Internet protocol
(IP) communications with a transmission speed of 155 Mbps (155 Mega bit
per second) were successfully performed. The verification was a part
of the initial functional verification jointly conducted by JAXA and
NICT between March 28 and April 7, 2008. It is especially noteworthy
that the transmission speed of 155 Mbps from a satellite to an ultra
small-size user terminal like the antenna of 45 cm in diameter is the
fastest in the world.
KIZUNA's operations entered the initial functional verification phase
on March 1, and the functions and performance of its onboard equipment
are currently being verified. The functions that have been verified so
far include the automatic tracking control of the multi-beam antenna
and the output of approximately 280 W from the multi-port amplifier.
JAXA will further perform verification of KIZUNA's special features
such as mutual connectivity across multiple ground stations,
transmission at 1.2 Gbps (1.2 Giga bit per second), and the
functionality of the active phased array antenna.
Mission websites:
* Wideband InterNetworking engineering test and Demonstration Satellite
"KIZUNA"
http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/winds/index_e.html
* National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)
http://www.nict.go.jp/index.html
IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2008/04/img/20080408_kizuna_e.jpg (57KB)]
An ultra small-size user terminal with a 45 cm-diameter antenna was
placed in Okinawa and a high-speed small ground station with a 1.2
m-diameter antenna was placed in Tohoku. Data was sent from the 45 cm
antenna to KIZUNA at a transmission speed of 1.5 Mbps, then sent from
KIZUNA to the 1.2 m antenna at a speed of 155 Mbps. Data was also sent
in reverse, from the 1.2 m antenna to KIZUNA at 155 Mbps and then from
KIZUNA to the 45 cm antenna at 155 Mbps. Throughout these transmissions,
KIZUNA was in the regenerative switching mode [2].
[1] KIZUNA is equipped with two multi-beam antennas, one for Japan and
neighboring countries and another for the Asia-Pacific region. The
former covers Japan (nine areas total), Seoul, Beijing, and Shanghai.
The latter covers seven cities in the Asia-Pacific region.
[2] The regenerative switching mode is the mode in which data sent from
a ground station to a satellite is demodulated in the satellite and
sent to the destination ground station. The regenerative switch onboard
the satellite is used for this process. Conventionally, data sent from a
ground station had to be sent to another ground station to be processed
and then sent from the satellite to the destination ground station. By
equipping a regenerative switch similar to a ground station,
communication can take place with less redirecting and therefore at
greater speeds.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Marunouchi Kitaguchi Building
1-6-5, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8260
Japan
TEL: +81-3-6266-6400
Joint release:
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)
April 8, 2008 (JST)
World's Fastest Satellite Internet Connection to 45 cm User Terminal Using
Wideband InterNetworking engineering test and Demonstration Satellite
"KIZUNA" (WINDS)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and National Institute
of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) performed a
verification of regenerative switching functions between an ultra
small-size user terminal (45 cm-diameter antenna) and a high-speed
small ground station (1.2 m-diameter antenna) using the onboard
multi-beam antenna [1] of "KIZUNA," and confirmed that Internet protocol
(IP) communications with a transmission speed of 155 Mbps (155 Mega bit
per second) were successfully performed. The verification was a part
of the initial functional verification jointly conducted by JAXA and
NICT between March 28 and April 7, 2008. It is especially noteworthy
that the transmission speed of 155 Mbps from a satellite to an ultra
small-size user terminal like the antenna of 45 cm in diameter is the
fastest in the world.
KIZUNA's operations entered the initial functional verification phase
on March 1, and the functions and performance of its onboard equipment
are currently being verified. The functions that have been verified so
far include the automatic tracking control of the multi-beam antenna
and the output of approximately 280 W from the multi-port amplifier.
JAXA will further perform verification of KIZUNA's special features
such as mutual connectivity across multiple ground stations,
transmission at 1.2 Gbps (1.2 Giga bit per second), and the
functionality of the active phased array antenna.
Mission websites:
* Wideband InterNetworking engineering test and Demonstration Satellite
"KIZUNA"
http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/winds/index_e.html
* National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)
http://www.nict.go.jp/index.html
IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2008/04/img/20080408_kizuna_e.jpg (57KB)]
An ultra small-size user terminal with a 45 cm-diameter antenna was
placed in Okinawa and a high-speed small ground station with a 1.2
m-diameter antenna was placed in Tohoku. Data was sent from the 45 cm
antenna to KIZUNA at a transmission speed of 1.5 Mbps, then sent from
KIZUNA to the 1.2 m antenna at a speed of 155 Mbps. Data was also sent
in reverse, from the 1.2 m antenna to KIZUNA at 155 Mbps and then from
KIZUNA to the 45 cm antenna at 155 Mbps. Throughout these transmissions,
KIZUNA was in the regenerative switching mode [2].
[1] KIZUNA is equipped with two multi-beam antennas, one for Japan and
neighboring countries and another for the Asia-Pacific region. The
former covers Japan (nine areas total), Seoul, Beijing, and Shanghai.
The latter covers seven cities in the Asia-Pacific region.
[2] The regenerative switching mode is the mode in which data sent from
a ground station to a satellite is demodulated in the satellite and
sent to the destination ground station. The regenerative switch onboard
the satellite is used for this process. Conventionally, data sent from a
ground station had to be sent to another ground station to be processed
and then sent from the satellite to the destination ground station. By
equipping a regenerative switch similar to a ground station,
communication can take place with less redirecting and therefore at
greater speeds.