KITSUNE (Kyutech standardized bus Imaging Technology System Utilizing Networking and Electron content measurements) was aJAXAnanosatellite developed by the HAK consortium, which consists of Haradaseiki Kogyo, Addnics Corporation, andKyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech).[2] The spacecraft was a 6UCubeSat, and carried a high-resolution camera forEarth observation.[3] KITSUNE was carried to theInternational Space Station (ISS) on boardCygnus NG-17, and was deployed from the ISS'sKibō Module on 24 March 2022 12:10 UTC.[2] The deployment service of KITSUNE was provided by Mitsui Bussan Aerospace.[2][4]
KITSUNE conducted several missions while in orbit, including observing Earth with a resolution of 5 m, and communicating inC band.[5] It also conductedstore and forward, collecting data from ground-based sensor terminals.[6][7]Its optics was based on ansmc PENTAX-DA* 300mm F4ED[IF]SDM lens.[8]
In the SPATIUM-II (SPATIUM : Space Precision Atomic-clock TIming Utility Mission) mission, aUHF signal would be sent fromground stations, and KITSUNE's on boardsoftware-defined radio andRaspberry Pi computer would calculate the signal delay time. From the signal delay time, theintegral value of thecharge density between the satellite and ground station (total electron content) could be calculated. The SPATIUM-II mission aimed to demonstrate detecting signal delay time by an accuracy of 100nanoseconds.[9]
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).
