TheOptical Inter-orbit Communications Engineering Test Satellite(OICETS), also calledKirari,was an experimental satellite launched byJAXAto demonstrate interorbital communication between satellites through optical (laser) means. OICETS was originally slated for a launch on the secondJ-Ilauncher. Due to problems with that launcher, the launch had to be put on hold. Using theH-IIAwas out of question: it would have been overkill to use the H-IIA to send a 570 kilograms (1,260 lb) satellite intolow Earth orbit,and there was no budget for another H-IIA launch. Finally, in order to be able to perform the tests during the lifetime of the EuropeanArtemissatellite (since 2014, sold toAvanti Communicationsto exploit its Ka, S, and L-band payloads), OICETS was successfully launched on an SS-18-based Dnepr rocket.
The satellite was decommissioned and its mission terminated on 24 September 2009 at 05:48 UTC.[3]
On 9 December 2005, JAXA succeeded in establishing optical links between OICETS and Artemis.
During March 2006, a successful link between OICETS and a ground station in Japan was established. This was the first optical links connection between a fixed ground station and an LEO satellite.
On 7 June 2006, JAXA established a communication link between OICETS and a mobile ground station operated by theGerman Aerospace Center(DLR).
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas (, ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flightsare underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).
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