FedSat is the first satellite built in Australia in over thirty years. In return for the launch service, the CRCSS will supply NASDA with scientific data from the three-year mission. FedSat will become the first foreign satellite launched on the H-IIA vehicle.

CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Geoff Garrett signed the agreement on behalf of the participants of the CRCSS, which consists of Australian universities, companies and government research organisations. "This is a landmark agreement which demonstrates the value of Australian science and technology" said Dr Garrett.

"We have extremely high hopes for FedSat, which will end a long drought in Australian satellite flights. It will carry innovative technology that could be used in future space missions. The scientific data it returns will be helpful for our own research, and will also contribute to research efforts in Japan.

"The two countries have cooperated on scientific space projects and practical applications of space technology for decades and we are delighted to continue and strengthen this collaboration".

NASDA was formed in 1969 and now oversees one of the largest space programs in the world. "This cooperation through FedSat is a very significant mission for NASDA, especially since it will be the very first foreign satellite onboard the H-IIA together with the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS-II).

"We would like to accomplish our role by launching FedSat successfully, and hope that FedSat will greatly benefit our scientific research. We are pleased to share this journey of FedSat with our colleagues in Australia", said NASDA President Mr Shuichiro Yamanouchi, who also signed the agreement.

FedSat is Australia's first domestically built satellite in 35 years.

The FedSat microsatellite project commenced in 1998, and is designed to demonstrate Australia's capability to design, build and operate small satellites.

The spacecraft will carry advanced communication, space science, navigation and computing payloads. Data from the scientific payloads will contribute to international research programs, and to the research projects of up to 100 graduate students and staff of the Centre.

On 1 May 2002, Prime Minister John Howard and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi noted, in a joint statement, the two countries' impending cooperation on the FedSat mission.

The H-IIA rocket, over 53 m tall, is able to carry up to 6 tonnes into geostationary orbit, and a larger amount into lower orbits. It is powered by solid-fuel strap on boosters and cryogenic main engines burning liquid hydrogen and oxygen.

FedSat is the first satellite built in Australia since WRESAT and Oscar V in the period 1967-1970. The satellite was built by a team of about 15 engineers and scientists at the CRCSS Project Office at Auspace Limited in Mitchell, a suburb of Canberra.

Most of the payloads were developed in other CRCSS laboratories in NSW, Queensland and South Australia. The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration supplied one payload.

The H-IIA is about the same length as the Space Shuttle and is Japan's indigenous launch vehicle. It operates from the new Yoshinobu Launch Range at Tanegashima Space Centre, on the island of Tanegashima approximately 900 km southwest of Tokyo. Since 1975, nearly forty satellites have been launched from the Centre.

The third flight of the H-IIA was carried out successfully from Tanegashima on 10 September, carrying two payloads into geostationary orbit. FedSat will be launched on the fourth flight later this year, into low Earth orbit at about 800 km altitude. Japan's Advanced Earth Observing Satellite ADEOS-II and two Japanese micro-satellites will be launched on the same flight.

Related Links
Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems
H-IIA
NASDA

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