ETS-IX

Engineering Test Satellite No. 9 is a Japanese experimental satellite under development, part of the ETS series.

Mission objectives

Demonstrate a high-power, all-electric satellite bus design to support large communication payloads.
Enable flexible communications operations by means of a digital payload and multi-beam Ka-band + free-space optical communications.
Achieve autonomous orbital maneuver and station-keeping via an onboard geostationary GPS receiver, reducing ground-segment operational cost.
Support a high-throughput satellite infrastructure—flexible bandwidth and coverage adapting to changing market demands.

Technical features

Bus mass: ~4.9 t.
Power generation: over 25 kW anticipated.
Propulsion: all-electric system for orbit transfer and station-keeping.
Payload: digital beam-forming and optical communication subsystem capable of ~10 Gbit/s laser links.

History

The ETS program dates back to 1975 with ETS-I; the ETS-IX represents the ninth iteration of this technology-test satellite series.
Although originally targeted for launch around 2021, the schedule has shifted and the current planned launch is after fiscal year 2025.

Significance

By offering a platform capable of high throughput, digital payload flexibility and optical communications, ETS-IX aims to help Japan maintain competitiveness in the global commercial satellite communications arena and to reduce life-cycle costs of GEO communications satellites.