In cooperation with private businesses, Japanese students from various universities have developed a total of four small-sized satellites that are ready for launch in January on Japan’s H-2A rocket. The satellites were unveiled yesterday at a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency facility in Osaka.

Tokyo Metropolitan College of Industrial Technology’s [JP] KKS1 will be launched to analyze three-axis stabilized attitude control. Tohoku University’ satellite, Sprite, is aimed at observing the luminous phenomenon.

Prism is the name of the satellite developed at the University of Tokyo. It’s equipped with a lens that measures 15cm and is supposed to take HD images in orbit. Kagawa University’s satellite, Kukai, consists of two parts that are connected by a string and is able to expand and contract.

Via The Japan Times