Success of Launch and Reception of Signal of MicroDragon Satellite Developed with Vietnam National Space Center： Professor Shinichi Nakasuka, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

50kg Micro-satellite MicroDragon which University of Tokyo has been developing with young engineers from Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC) was launched by Epsilon rocket No.4 of JAXA at 10:50am on January 18th from Uchinoura Space Center, Kagoshima prefecture. At the first pass when MicroDragon flew over Tokyo area in the night of 18th, its signal was successfully received and its proper operation was confirmed.
MicroDragon's main objective is to teach young engineers of VNSC on satellite development and also to develop the Vietnam's first 50kg class micro-satellite. With University of Tokyo as the leader, four other Japanese universities, Hokkaido University, Tohoku University, Keio University and Kyushu Institute of Technology joined the education and development. University of Tokyo conduced the system design of the whole satellite, its integration and satellite operation. The main mission of MicroDragon is to watch the coastal areas of Vietnam by cameras. This co-launch by Epsilon was proposed to JAXA in the name of Keio University.
For Nakasuka-Funase laboratory in Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics which lead this project, this was the ninth launch of satellite, all of which were successfully operated in space.