Planned experiments using the Communications and Broadcasting Engineering Test Satellite (COMETS)

The Communications and Broadcasting Engineering Test Satellite (COMETS) is a research and development satellite whose aim is to develop new technologies and conduct experiments in the communications and broadcasting fields. After COMETS is launched, the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) plans to execute various experiments and demonstrations of inter-orbit communications and advanced satellite broadcasting with COMETS for the duration of the budgeted three-year experiments period. Principal inter-orbit experiments will comprise of the establishment of technologies pertaining to S-band and Ka-band inter-orbit communications, precise acquisition and tracking for low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite, and an evaluation of the space proven space network system technologies. The COMETS project also provides an environment for the advanced satellite broadcasting experiments pertaining to the on-board equipment´s performance and wide-band digital transmission technologies. The authors present an outline of NASDA´s experiments using COMETS