Innovative launch opportunity for small satellite by using one and only function on kibo/iss

Abstract

In 2012, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) developed an innovative satellite launch system called the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) to deploy and inject satellites into orbit from the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) known as “Kibo”—one of the International Space Station (ISS) modules—by taking advantage of its one and only function of having both the JEM Airlock (JEM AL) and the JEM Remote Manipulator System (JEM RMS), a special kind of robotic arm. At present, satellite deployers other than the J-SSOD that use Kibo include the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer (NRCSD) and Cyclops, also known as the Space Station Integrated Kinetic Launcher for Orbital Payload Systems (SSIKLOPS). As of April 2018, more than 200 satellites have been deployed from Kibo and the deployment opportunity has attracted global attention as a new space transport system for satellites. This paper introduces an overview of this innovative launch opportunity for small satellites and related international cooperation that helps foster national capacity in space technology engineering, design and construction, and supports a number of sustainable development goals (SDGs).