TOKYO -- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will test technology designed to ease the impact on satellites as they separate from their launch vehicle by around 75 percent, allowing for more sophisticated equipment.
A satellite absorbs force equivalent to 4,000 times Earth's gravitational pull, or 4,000g, when it separates from a Japanese H-IIA rocket. JAXA teamed with Kawasaki Heavy Industries to develop equipment that reduces that force. Instead of using explosives to separate the satellite from the launch vehicle, hooks loosened by electrical signals will be employed.
