Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 22, 2026

Tansei

Tansei was the second Japanese artificial satellite which was put into orbit, after the country's first satellite Ohsumi. The satellite was sent into orbit on 16 February 1971.

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Jun 22, 2026
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Tansei (Japanese: たんせい) was the second Japanese artificial satellite which was put into orbit, after the country's first satellite Ohsumi.1 The satellite was sent into orbit on 16 February 1971.2

Just like Ohsumi, the launch was a project by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science at the University of Tokyo (UTokyo). The name of the satellite means "light blue", which is the school colour of UTokyo.3 Three more satellites with the same name were subsequently launched by the university. The last of them was launched on 17 February 1980.4

References

References

  1. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Ōsumi" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 762.
  2. JAXA, "Catalogue of ISAS Missions" Archived 2014-12-31 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-4-2.
  3. "Japan's Satellite Transmits," New York Times. February 18, 1971; retrieved 2012-4-16.
  4. "試験衛星「たんせい4」 | 科学衛星・探査機". 宇宙科学研究所 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-11-13.