Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a4102acd88770d7f

Jump to content

ALE-2

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ALE-2
Mission typeSpace entertainment, atmospheric science
OperatorALE Co., LTD
COSPAR ID2019-084A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.44824Edit this on Wikidata
Websitehttps://star-ale.com/en/technology/
Start of mission
Launch date6 December 2019, 08:18 UTC[1]
RocketElectron
Launch siteRocket Lab LC-1
ContractorRocket Lab
End of mission
DisposalOrbital re-entry
Decay date19 April 2023
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Inclination96.8°
← ALE-1
ALE-3 →

ALE-2 was a satellite built and operated by ALE Co., LTD for space entertainment and atmospheric science. ALE-2 was intended to release metal particles into Earth's atmosphere to generate artificial meteors, but plans were cancelled due to a malfunction of the deployment system. ALE-2's artificial meteors were to be used to study re-entry dynamics and upper atmosphere phenomena.[2]

Overview

[edit]

ALE-2 is ALE Co., LTD's second satellite, following the ALE-1 launched in January 2019. While ALE-1 was a rideshare payload and needed to first descend to a lower altitude to release the artificial meteors,[3] ALE-2 was launched as a primary payload and was deployed directly to an altitude ideal for releasing the artificial meteors. Thus ALE-2 became ALE Co., LTD's first attempt at creating artificial meteors. The satellite was designed to controllably release particles in the direction opposite to its motion, allowing them to re-enter Earth's atmosphere as artificial meteors.[4] ALE-2 was developed by ALE Co., LTD, along with the Tohoku University Space Robotics Laboratory and Nihon University.[5][6]

On 6 December 2019, an Electron rocket sent ALE-2 to low Earth orbit as part of the ″Running Out Of Fingers″ launch.[1] ALE-2 was placed into a 400 km (250 mi) orbit, lower than the International Space Station to eliminate any possibility that particles released by ALE-2 would pose a risk to the astronauts at the station.[4] Unlike ALE-1, which had no on board propulsion, ALE-2 was equipped with thrusters to counter atmospheric drag and keep its altitude between 375 to 400 km (233 to 249 mi), the optimal height to release the artificial meteor particles.[2]

On 4 April 2023, ALE ended the operations of ALE-2 as the orbital altitude of the satellite decreased following the depletion of onboard fuel.[7] ALE-2 decayed from orbit on 19 April 2023.[8][9]

Spacecraft

[edit]

ALE-2's satellite bus was developed by Tohoku University.[10] The ALE-2 satellite is covered in gold plating for better thermal control.[11]

For propulsion, the satellite was equipped with an ALEx supercritical thruster manufactured by Patchedconics, LLC. The ALEx engine was made from COTS components,[12] and used a non-toxic green propellant.[13][10] ALEx had a total of four thruster nozzles.[2]

Operation in orbit

[edit]

In February 2020, ALE announced that a malfunction of the shooting star deployment mechanism prevented ALE-2 from releasing artificial meteor particles.[14] Nevertheless, a simulation of the deployment was conducted in orbit.[15] The satellite's thrusters experienced power failures while the satellite was in eclipse, as the DC/DC converter for the thrusters did not function properly when the battery voltage was too low.[10]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "Running Out Of Fingers". Rocket Lab. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
  2. 1 2 3 Sato, Yuji; Fujita, Shinya; Kuwahara, Toshinori; Shibuya, Yoshihiko; Kamachi, Koh; Kawaguchi, Junichiro; Kubo, Yuki; Nada, Yuichiro; Ohashi, Kaoru (12 January 2020). Design and Evaluation of Thruster Control Approach for Micro-satellite ALE-2. 2020 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration. Honolulu, Hawaii: IEEE. doi:10.1109/SII46433.2020.9026234.
  3. ↑ "First man-made shooting star satellite successfully lowers its altitude" (Press release). ALE Co., LTD. September 29, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Shibuya, Yoshihiko; Kuwahara, Toshinori; Sato, Yuji; Fujita, Shinya; Watanabe, Hayato; Mitsuhashi, Yui (25 October 2021). "Orbit Design and Analysis of Artificial Meteors Generating Micro-satellites". Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress. 28th IAA Symposium on Small Satellite Missions 2021 at the 72nd International Astronautical Congress. Dubai: Tohoku University. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  5. ↑ "Kuwahara Laboratory Tohoku University" (in Japanese). Tohoku University. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
  6. ↑ "航空宇宙工学科 阿部新助准教授が共同研究開発をしている、(株)ALE 人工衛星2号機 ALE2が、エレクトロンロケットにて軌道投入成功！世界初の実験へ。" (Press release) (in Japanese). Nihon University. December 6, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Announcement of the Termination of Operations for Second Satellite" (Press release). ALE Co., LTD. April 18, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  8. ↑ "ALE-2". N2YO.com. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  9. ↑ Otsuka, Minoru (October 3, 2023). "「すごい流れ星が見えるかも」 400粒もの"流れ星の素"を積んだ人工衛星が近く大気圏再突入". Itmedia NEWS (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-06-03.
  10. 1 2 3 Sato, Yuji; Fujita, Shinya; Shibuya, Yoshihiko; Kuwahara, Toshinori (August 2021). In-orbit Demonstration of Reaction Control System for Orbital Altitude Change of MicroSatellite ALE-2. 35th Annual Small Satellite Conference. Logan, Utah: Utah State University. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  11. ↑ ALE_human-made shooting star project/人工流れ星プロジェクト [@ALE_StarAle] (6 March 2020). "「Close to the features of ALE-2! ②」 The ALE-2 covers material uses gold plating to properly control the satellite temperature✨ ALE-1 shines in silver and ALE-2 shines in gold, which are both very cool!! 😆" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ↑ Kawaguchi, Junichiro; Yoneda, Hiroaki; Yasuda, Shun; Fujita, Masahiro; Kubo, Yuki (18 January 2024). "高容積効率All-In-One 1Uスラスタの飛翔型モデルについて". Proceedings of Space Transportation Symposium FY2023. Space Transportation Symposium FY2023 (in Japanese). Sagamihara, Kanagawa: JAXA. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  13. ↑ "Patchedconics Taps for Future with Space Technology". Patchedconics, LLC. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
  14. ↑ Wall, Mike (15 May 2020). "Japanese satellite filled with 'shooting star' pellets won't spawn artificial meteor shower after all". Space.com. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  15. ↑ Shibuya, Yoshihiko; Sato, Yuji; Tomio, Hannah; Kuwahara, Toshinori; Fujita, Shinya; Kamachi, Koh; Watanabe, Hayato (21 January 2021). Development and Demonstration of the Mission Control System for Artificial Meteor Generating Micro-satellites. 2021 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration. Iwaki, Fukushima: IEEE. doi:10.1109/IEEECONF49454.2021.9382604.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ALE-2&oldid=1370212643"