At 0945 GMT on 10 August 2018, a J-SSOD satellite dispenser was taken from the JEM (Japanese Experimental Module) Kibo airlock of the International Space Station using the JEM RMS robot arm. At 0945 GMT the J-SSOD ejected three 1U-Cubesats – Bhutan-1, UiTMSat-1 and Maya-1 – for Bhutan, Malaysia and the Philippines respectively.
The three satellites and their J-SSOD dispenser were carried to the ISS on the Dragon CRS-15 freighter. They are part of the Japanese-led multinational BIRDS 2 project. Each BIRDS 2 satellite carries two cameras for Earth imaging, a voice synthesiser and a UHF transmitter for amateur communications. Maya also carries a GPS receiver and magnetometer to measure the Earth’s magnetic field. (Times via Jonathan McDowell)
On their way: J-SSOD ejected three 1U-Cubesats: Bhutan-1, UiTMSat-1 and Maya-1 Courtesy: NASA
