CanSat suborbital launch experiment - University educational space program using can sized pico-satellite

Our laboratory is proceeding with a project to design and fabricate a nano satellite named Gekkabijin as CanSat project. This project was agreed at USSS'98 as a Japan-U.S. joint venture to make satellites for educational purpose. CanSat is, as can be imaged from the name, a Coke can shaped and sized satellite. Our CanSat Gekkabijin was designed to deploy a thin flexible membrane using centrifugal force. Before we can launch a CanSat into space, we had a chance to put it into sub-orbit with a support from a U.S. amateur rocket group in the name of ARLISS Project. ARLISS Project has already taken place twice in 1999 and 2000 and we carried out 6 missions. This paper describes title objectives, satellite design, experiment results and lessons learned of University of Tokyo CanSat Project. (C) 2001 International Astronautical Federation. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.