JAXA HTV-9 Spacecraft to Carry Science, Technology to Space Station

A Japanese cargo spacecraft loaded with experiment hardware, supplies, and spare parts is scheduled to launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan to the International Space Station at 1:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 20, 2020 (2:30 a.m. May 21 in Japan). The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) unpiloted H-II Transport Vehicle-9 (HTV-9) carries investigations testing a new live streaming educational tool, microscope, and telescope.

The integrated Standard Imager for Microsatellites (iSIM), a very high-resolution optical binocular telescope developed by UF startup and UF Innovate | The Hub resident company SATLANTIS, is part of the “crew.” The telescope takes images of Earth at less than one meter of resolution. A combination of technologies including optics, mechanics, electronics, and artificial intelligence algorithms achieves a high spatial resolution at a significantly lower cost compared with traditional imaging systems of similar performance. 

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