Press Release

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Wideband InterNetworking engineering test
and Demonstration Satellite KIZUNA (WINDS)
Flight Status

February 24, 2008 (JST)

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that the "KIZUNA" (WINDS) deployed its solar array paddles normally through telemetry and image data received at the Santiago Station, Chile, and Maspalomas Station, Canary Island, Spain. The KIZUNA was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center at 5:55 p.m. on February 23, 2008 (Japan Standard Time, JST.) The satellite is in good health.

Attached below are images of the solar array paddle deployment.

(Scheduled next information release)
We plan to announce the orbit calculation results and the schedule of the first apogee engine firing for the KIZUNA at around 9:30 a.m. on February 24 (JST) on the following special site.
http://www.jaxa.jp/countdown/f14/index_e.html



Images of Solar Array Paddle Deployment



We confirmed the deployment of the solar array paddles from the above image data as well as from a latch signal of telemetry data.