Titech CanSat project in 1999

Prof. Twiggs, from Stanford University proposed the CanSat project at 1998 University Space Systems Symposium in Hawaii. The project was a collaborative effort between U.S. and Japanese universities to develop can's size satellites (CanSat).



Titech (Tokyo Institute of Technology) designed and built some prototypes, exactly four. Their CanSats were launched on an amateur rocket called ARLISS (A Rocket Launched International Student Satellites) on 1999. The launch place was located at the state of Nevada, in the Black Rock desert. Those satellites reached a height of 3657m approximately, which means a low orbit flight. Each CanSat had a specific mission:
     
        - CanSat Type1, called "Spider". Its mission consisted of testing a small reel system for space tether applications

        - CanSat Type2, named "TeS". Its objective was to show that the tethered satellite was able to go up and down along the tether thanks to designed small roll mechanisms.

        - CanSat Type3 whose name was "[etc]". Its was described as a communications and electronic devices test satellite. It carried seven sensors (3 gyros, 2 accelerometer sensors, a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor).

        - CanSat Type4 named "SabSat". Contrary to the rest of the satellites, this one's size was 150ml instead of the usual 350ml. Its mission, transmitting NTSC signal of CCD video in UHF during the descent period.


The launch was conducted on 11th September 1999. Some technical problems happened ("[etc]" and "SabSat" were tethered in the rocket). However, it should be considered as a brilliant project for being pioneer in the CanSat field.