Tokyo 2020 Cheering Satellite "G-SATELLITE" Successfully Launched and Arrived at the ISS! (NASA Live Footage Available)

The Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee announced on March 7 that the nanosatellite "G-SATELLITE," to be used in the second installment of the "ONE TEAM PROJECT" initiative "Cheers for Tokyo 2020 from Space!" titled "G-SATELLITE to Space," had successfully launched toward the International Space Station (ISS).

The project involves releasing the "G-SATELLITE" microsatellite, carrying Gundam and Char's Zaku model kits (Gunpla) from the iconic Japanese TV anime "Mobile Suit Gundam," from the ISS into space. The satellite will orbit Earth from before to during the Tokyo Games, broadcasting messages of support for the Games back to Earth.

©️NASA

 

©️NASA

 

The "G-SATELLITE," developed primarily by the University of Tokyo, was attached to the satellite deployment mechanism at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and then loaded onto the Dragon supply spacecraft for transport to the ISS.
The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon supply ship successfully launched toward the ISS from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA, at 1:50 PM JST on the same day.
The resupply spacecraft then arrived safely at the ISS around 8:00 p.m. on the 9th (Japan Standard Time). The release of "G-SATELLITE" from the ISS into space is scheduled for late April.

©️NASA

 

Professor Shinichi Nakasuga of the University of Tokyo commented on the successful launch: "Seeing the G-SATELLITE, which we worked so hard to build in the lab, launched gives me a real sense of responsibility. The crucial moment now is when the satellite's operation is confirmed after release from the space station. We've incorporated new technologies, and I hope this satellite, developed by young researchers, will successfully start up in orbit and function normally. Please cheer us on."