Subscribe with SteadyICS-EF
ICS-EF [JAXA]
JAXA's ICS-EF (Inter-orbit Communication System - Exposed Facility) was an International Space Station (ISS) based communications package for sending data between the ISS JEM (Kibo) module and Mission Control Tsukuba via the DRTS (Kodama) data relay satellite.
The ICS consists of two subsystem components: the ICS-Pressurized Module (ICS-PM) and the ICS-Exposed Facility (ICS-EF). The ICS-PM, which is installed in the PM, will provide command and data handling functions. The ICS-EF is mainly composed of an antenna and pointing mechanism that will be used to communicate with the DRTS.
ICS-EF was launched to the ISS on the Space Shuttle STS-127 Mission (2J/A) in 2009 and had a mass of 310 kg.
ICS-EF was removed from the JEM-EF in 2020 and released into orbit to reenter naturally. Reentry occured on 18 March 2023.
| Nation: | Japan |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Communications |
| Operator: | JAXA |
| Contractors: | JAXA |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | Attached ISS payload |
| Propulsion: | None |
| Power: | Via ISS |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | 330 kg |
| Orbit: |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICS-EF | 1998-067RJ | 15.07.2009 | CCK LC-39A | Shuttle | with Endeavour F23 (STS-127), JEF (JEM-EF), JLE (JEM-ELM-ES), MAXI, SEDA-AP, ANDE-2 AA, ANDE-2 PA, Bevo 1, AggieSat2 |
Launch Sites:
- CCK = NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA
Pressurized elements:
|
|
Logistics: |
