Japan's ISAS launched EXOS-D, later renamed Akebono, on a Mu-3S-II rocket from Kagoshima to study aurora and the magnetosphere. The 295 kg satellite operated for 26 years, far beyond its design life, before being decommissioned in 2015 as its orbit decayed.
- Outcome
- Success
- Orbit
- Elliptical
- Elliptical orbit
- Payload to orbit
- 318 kg
- Flight
- 4th
- of 8 Mu-3S-II flights
- Date and time
- 21 February 1989, 23:30 UTC
- Rocket
- Mu-3S-II
- Builder
- Nissan
- Launch site
- Mu Center, Uchinoura Space Center, Japan
- Payload
- Earth Science
- International designator
- 1989-016
- Launches in 1989
- 16th of 102
See it in orbit
Space Atlas shows the satellites and rocket stages from this launch in 3D.
View satellites in Space Atlas