HALCA (Highly Advanced Laboratory for Communications and Astronomy)
A Japanese satellite that forms the first spaceborne element of the VSOP
(VLBI Space Observatory Program), led by ISAS
(Institute of Space and Astronautical Science) in collaboration with the
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. HALCA's main instrument is an
8-meter-diameter radio telescope. The satellite's highly elliptical orbit
enables VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) observations on baselines
up to three times longer than those achievable on Earth. Observations are
made at 1.6 GHz, 5 GHz, and 22 GHz. HALCA is also known by the national
name Haruka ("far away") – a reference to its large distance from
Earth at apogee (the highest point of its orbit). Before launch, the satellite
was called MUSES-B. See also Japan in
space.
| launch date |
Feb. 12, 1997 |
| launch vehicle |
M-5 |
| launch site |
Kagoshima |
| orbit |
569 × 21,415 km × 31.4° |
Related categories
• JAPANESE
SPACECRAFT
• SATELLITES
AND SPACE PROBES
• JAPAN
IN SPACE
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