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You are here: Home / News / Altitude Lowering Underway for ALE’s Shooting Star Efforts

Altitude Lowering Underway for ALE’s Shooting Star Efforts

February 21, 2020 by editorial

ALE Co., Ltd.(ALE), led by CEO Lena Okajima, has reported that the company’s first man-made shooting star satellite that was launched on January 18, 2019, has begun its mission to lower its altitude.

ALE-1, the first satellite jointly developed by ALE and National University Corporation Tohoku University (Tohoku University) to try to create a man-made shooting star, was launched on January 18, 2019, on the JAXA Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-1 (Epsilon Rocket No. 4) with six other satellites and was placed into orbit at an altitude of about 500 km.

The operating altitude for releasing particles to create man-made shooting stars is targeted for about 400 km., which means the satellite will need to lower its altitude for about 100 km. to a required altitude for operation.

A thin film orbit release device, DOM®: De-Orbit Mechanism (DOM®), jointly developed with Nakashimada Engineering Works, Ltd. and Tohoku University, that is attached to the satellite is used to lower the altitude gradually using atmospheric drag.

ALE-1 will reach the altitude of 400 km. in about one year and, after technological verification, it will begin its emission operation of the man-made shooting stars.


This ALE-1 satellite photo is courtesy of the company.

Change in schedule of altitude descent

At the time of its launch, ALE-1’s altitude descent was originally planned to start from March of 2019; however, due to additional post-launch trials, detailed orbit data collection and technological verifications for the use of second satellite (ALE-2) operations, the starting date for ALE-‘s altitude descent was postponed.
     After the initial trials, completion of data accumulation, and technological verifications for ALE-2 operations, the DOM® thin film unfolded on December 25, 2019, and ALE-1’s altitude started to descend. The results from monitoring orbit transition for one month confirmed that the speed of altitude descendant of ALE-1 has accelerated.

Filed Under: News

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