WINDS (Wideband InterNetworking engineering test and Demonstration Satellite, also known as Kizuna), was a Japanese communication satellite. Launch was originally scheduled for 2007. The launch date was eventually set for 15 February 2008, but a problem detected in a second stage maneuvering thruster delayed it to 23 February. Lift-off occurred at 08:55 GMT on 23 February from Tanegashima Space Center, and the satellite separated from its H-IIA carrier rocket into a Geosynchronous transfer orbit at 09:23. WINDS was used to relay the internet to Japanese homes and businesses through Ka-Band signals. It also tested technologies that would be utilised by future Japanese communication satellites. A part of Japan's i-Space program, WINDS was operated by JAXA and NICT.
![]() Launch of WINDS (Kizuna) on H-IIA Flight 14. | |
Mission type | Communication |
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Operator | JAXA/NICT |
COSPAR ID | 2008-007A ![]() |
SATCAT no. | 32500 |
Website | JAXA |
Mission duration | 5 years (design) Final: 11 years, 4 days |
Spacecraft properties | |
Bus | NX-G[1] |
Manufacturer | NEC |
Launch mass | 4,850 kilograms (10,690 lb) |
BOL mass | 2,750 kilograms (6,060 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 23 February 2008, 08:55 (2008-02-23UTC08:55Z) UTC |
Rocket | H-IIA |
Launch site | Tanegashima Y1 |
Contractor | Mitsubishi |
End of mission | |
Disposal | Decommissioned |
Deactivated | 27 February 2019, 06:54 (2019-02-27UTC06:55Z) UTC |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Geostationary |
Longitude | 143° East |
Semi-major axis | 42,164 kilometres (26,199 mi) |
Perigee altitude | 35,784.1 kilometres (22,235.2 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 35,803.8 kilometres (22,247.4 mi) |
Inclination | 0.2 ° |
Period | 1,436.1 minutes |
Epoch | 00:00:00 UTC 2016-08-31[2] |
Prior to launch, a JAXA brochure claimed that WINDS will be able to provide 155 Mbit/s download speeds to home users with 45-centimetre diameter satellite dishes, while providing industrial users via 5-metre diameter dishes with 1.2 Gbit/s speeds.[3]
WINDS had a launch mass of 4,850 kg, reducing to a mass of around 2,750 kg after thrusting to its operational orbit. The spacecraft is 8 m x 3 m x 2 m in size, and its solar panels have a span of 21.5 metres. It has three-axis stabilisation, and a design life expectancy of five years.
The satellite became inoperable due to communications failure on 9 February 2019,[4] and it was decommissioned by the transmission of a deactivation command at 06:54 GMT on 27 February 2019.[5]
Japanese space program | |||||||||||||
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Astronomical observation |
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Communications, broadcasting and navigation |
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Earth observation |
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Engineering tests |
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Human spaceflight |
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Lunar and planetary exploration |
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Private miniaturized satellites |
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Reconnaissance |
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← 2007 · Orbital launches in 2008 · 2009 → | |
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Thuraya 3 | TecSAR | Ekspress AM-33 | Progress M-63 | STS-122 (Columbus) | Thor 5 | Kizuna | Jules Verne ATV | STS-123 (Kibō ELM-PS · Dextre · Spacelab MD002) | USA-200 | AMC-14 | USA-201 | DirecTV-11 | SAR-Lupe 4 | Soyuz TMA-12 | ICO G1 | C/NOFS | Vinasat-1 · Star One C2 | Tianlian I-01 | GIOVE-B | Cartosat-2A · TWSAT · CanX-2 · CUTE-1.7 + APD II · Delfi-C3 · AAUSat-2 · Compass-1 · SEEDS-2 · CanX-6 · Rubin-8 | Amos-3 | Progress M-64 | Galaxy 18 | Kosmos 2437 · Kosmos 2438 · Kosmos 2439 · Yubileiny | Feng Yun 3A | STS-124 (Kibō PM) | ChinaSat 9 | Fermi | Skynet 5C · Türksat 3A | Orbcomm FM29 · Orbcomm FM37 · Orbcomm FM38 · Orbcomm FM39 · Orbcomm FM40 · Orbcomm FM41 | OSTM/Jason-2 | Kosmos 2440 | Badr-6 · ProtoStar 1 | EchoStar XI | SAR-Lupe 5 | Kosmos 2441 | Trailblazer · NanoSail-D · PRESat · Explorers | Superbird-C2 · AMC-21 | Omid | Inmarsat-4 F3 | Tachys · Mati · Choma · Choros · Trochia | Huan Jing 1A · Huan Jing 1B | GeoEye-1 | Progress M-65 | Nimiq-4 | Galaxy 19 | Kosmos 2442 · Kosmos 2243 · Kosmos 2444 | Shenzhou 7 (Banxing-1) | Ratsat | THEOS | Soyuz TMA-13 | IBEX | Chandrayaan-1 (MIP) | Shijian 6E · Shijian 6F | COSMO-3 | Venesat-1 | Chuang Xin 1B · Shiyan Weixing 3 | Astra 1M | Kosmos 2445 | STS-126 (Leonardo MPLM · PSSC-1) | Progress M-01M | Yaogan 4 | Kosmos 2446 | Yaogan 5 | Hot Bird 9 · Eutelsat W2M | Feng Yun 2E | Kosmos 2447 · Kosmos 2448 · Kosmos 2449 | |
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in brackets. |
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