The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said Tuesday that a key antenna on
Japan's largest satellite didn't unfold successfully due to a technical glitch, a release
mechanism failed to operate properly.
Agency official Masanori Suzuki said that the reception antenna unfolded
successfully, but because of the other antenna, which didn't unfold, the communication
satellite will not work .
JAXA launched the Kiku No.8 on December 18 on a domestically developed H2-
A rocket. Kiru No.8 is Japans largest satellite.
Kiru No.8 was designed for telecommunication and to conduct sensitive
measurements of time, calibrating a high-precision clock onboard with similar clocks in
Japan.
Source: CNN.com
Digg
Reddit
Slashdot