1. Home
  2. For Corporate & Research Institute
  3. News
  4. 6 CubeSats to be deployed from the “Kibo” Japanese Experiment Module on Tuesday, February 3, 2026
2026.01.23
  • Announcements

6 CubeSats to be deployed from the “Kibo” Japanese Experiment Module on Tuesday, February 3, 2026

  • Experiment at Kibo
Share
The following 6 CubeSats will be deployed from the “Kibo” Japanese Experiment Module as J-SSOD#35.
  • Gxiba-1 *1
  • CoRAL *3
  • KNACKSAT-2 *2
  • HMU-SAT2(Teruteru) *3
  • UiTMSAT-2 *2
  • LEOPARD *3

*1 Deployed under the framework of the JAXA/UNOOSA collaboration "KiboCUBE" program.
*2 Deployed under the framework of the J-CUBE program, in which a CubeSat deployment opportunity is established through an agreement between JAXA and the University Space Engineering Consortium (UNISEC).
*3 Deployed under the J-SSOD service provider. In May 2018, as a new step to enhance the commercial utilization of Kibo, JAXA selected Space BD Inc. and Mitsui Bussan Aerospace Co., Ltd. as J-SSOD service provider:.
Selection of Service Provider for Small Satellite Deployment from Kibo

The deployment event for these satellites will be broadcast via YouTube JAXA Channel.

February 3, 2026 (Tuesday)
* The date and time of the deployment are subject to change due to the ISS schedule modification.

【Satellite】 Gxiba-1 [Size: 1U]
【Organizations】 Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP)
【Program】 KiboCUBE
【Mission】 To take pictures of Mexican active volcanoes from space, primarily Popocatépetl, a volcano located near Mexico City and Puebla. This satellite is a proof of concept to send a CubeSat constellation in the future to vectorize the ashes erupted by the volcanoes. Data from space will be downloaded by the Iridium Constellation and the UHF amateur band.
Image by UPAEP
【Satellite】 CoRAL [Size: 2U]
【Organizations】 Sapienza University of Rome (S5Lab research group)
Thales Alenia Space Italia and Telespazio, S.p.A. under a European Space Agency project
【Service Provider】 Space BD Inc.
【Mission】 Testing Distributed Telemetry Networks and Inter-Satellite Links (ISL) through Internet of Things technologies and performing spectrum monitoring with Software Defined Radios.
Image by Sapienza University of Rome
【Satellite】 KNACKSAT-2 [Size:3U]
【Organizations】 King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok
Kyushu Institute of Technology
NBspace Co., Ltd.
【Program】 J-CUBE
【Mission】 Ride Sharing Mission
  • Automatic Packet Reporting System - Digipeater
  • Camera Mission
  • X-ray - Gamma ray sensing module
  • Measure Ultraviolet in-orbit
  • Store and Forward (S&F IoT) Mission
Image by King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok
【Satellite】 HMU-SAT2(Teruteru) [Size: 1U]
【Organizations】 Hokkaido University of Science
Kobo Okura Co.,Ltd.
Komagane Technical High School
【Service Provider】 Space BD Inc.
【Mission】
  • Demonstration of the development, manufacturing, and operation of the 1U CubeSat “Teruteru” led by high school students
  • Transmission of light messages from space using LEDs and fundamental verification of simplified optical communication technology
  • Educational utilization and promotion of citizen science through an international observation network involving academic and research institutions worldwide
Image by Kobo Okura Co.,Ltd.
【Satellite】 UiTMSAT-2 [Size:1U]
【Organizations】 Universiti Teknologi MARA
Kyushu Institute of Technology
【Program】 J-CUBE
【Mission】
  • Camera mission with focal length of 35 mm and targeted GSD of 16 m at altitude of 400 km. The image data can be downloaded through UHF.
  • Store-and-Forward mission in which satellite can receive and store onboard the ground data through VHF. The data can be downloaded through UHF.
  • APRS mission where amateur community digipeat or send the packet signal for communication purpose through VHF and receive the packet via UHF.
Image by Universiti Teknologi MARA
【Satellite】 LEOPARD [Size: 3U]
【Organizations】 Kyushu Institute of Technology
【Service Provider】 Mitsui Bussan Aerospace Co., Ltd.
【Mission】
  1. MSC: Detecting light-scattering by atmospheric molecules causing Rayleigh scattering when the Sun is below horizon line with a multispectral imager
  2. OPERA: Demonstration of the positioning technology for deep space mission in low-earth orbit.
  3. SEL: Evaluation of shielding for single events on two ARM-based microcontrollers
  4. MGM: Measurement of magnetic field gradient around the satellite body
  5. SAP: Solar panel deployment by utilizing shape memory alloy
Image by Kyushu Institute of Technology

Unless specified otherwise, rights to all images belong to ©JAXA