Winds
| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | JAXA/NICT |
| COSPAR ID | 2008-007A |
| SATCAT № | 32500 |
| Website | JAXA |
| Mission duration | 5 years (design) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | NX-G |
| Manufacturer | NEC |
| Launch mass | 4,850 kilograms (10,690 lb) |
| BOL mass | 2,750 kilograms (6,060 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 23 February 2008 |
| Rocket | H-IIA |
| Launch site | Tanegashima Y1 |
| Contractor | Mitsubishi |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary |
| Longitude | 143° East |
| Semi-major axis | 42,164 kilometres (26,199 mi) |
| Perigee | 35,784.1 kilometres (22,235.2 mi) |
| Apogee | 35,803.8 kilometres (22,247.4 mi) |
| Inclination | 0.2 ° |
| Period | 1,436.1 minutes |
| Epoch | 00:00:00 UTC 2016-08-31 |
WINDS (Wideband InterNetworking engineering test and Demonstration Satellite, also known as Kizuna), is a Japanese communication satellite. Launch was originally scheduled for 2007. The launch date was eventually set for 15 February 2008, however a problem detected in a second stage manoeuvring thruster delayed it to 23 February. Lift-off occurred at 08:55 GMT on 23 February, and the satellite separated from the carrier rocket, into a Geosynchronous transfer orbit at 09:23, launched by an H-IIA carrier rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center. It will be used to relay the internet to Japanese homes and businesses, through Ka-Band signals. It will also develop technologies to be utilised by future Japanese communication spacecraft. It is part of Japan's i-Space program, and is to be operated by JAXA and NICT.
JAXA claim that WINDS will be able to provide 155 Mbit/s download speed to home users with 45-centimetre diameter satellite dishes, whilst providing industrial users, via 5-metre diameter dishes, with 1.2 Gbit/s speeds.
WINDS has a launch mass of 4,850 kg, reducing to around 2,750 kg when in orbit. The spacecraft is 8 m x 3 m x 2 m in size, and its solar panels have a span of 21.5 metres. It has three-axis stabilisation, and a design life expectancy of five years.
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