| Kiku 8 | |
| Mission Type: | Communications Technology |
| Operator: | JAXA NICT NTT |
| Cospar Id: | 2006-059A |
| Satcat: | 29656 |
| Mission Duration: | 10 years |
| Spacecraft Bus: | DS-2000 |
| Manufacturer: | Mitsubishi Electric |
| Launch Mass: | 5800kg (12,800lb) |
| Launch Date: | UTC[1] |
| Launch Rocket: | H-IIA 204 |
| Launch Site: | Tanegashima Yoshinobu 1 |
| Launch Contractor: | Mitsubishi |
| Entered Service: | 9 May 2007 |
| Orbit Epoch: | 29 October 2013, 19:34:27 UTC[2] |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric |
| Orbit Regime: | Geostationary |
| Orbit Periapsis: | 35769km (22,226miles) |
| Orbit Apoapsis: | 35816km (22,255miles) |
| Orbit Inclination: | 3.04 degrees |
| Orbit Period: | 23.93 hours |
| Orbit Semimajor: | 42163.77km (26,199.35miles) |
| Orbit Eccentricity: | 0.0005611 |
| Orbit Raan: | 68.56 degrees |
| Orbit Arg Periapsis: | 138.47 degrees |
| Orbit Longitude: | 145.7° east |
| Apsis: | gee |
JAXA Engineering Test Satellite ETS-VIII (Kiku 8) was the eighth technology test satellite in a series which started with ETS-1 in 1975 by NASDA. It was launched with the H-2A on December 18, 2006. ETS-VIII was developed by JAXA in cooperation with NICT and NTT. The aim of ETS-VIII was to enable satellite communications with small terminals. Unlike the Iridium satellites for mobile communication, ETS-VIII was positioned at GEO.However to fulfill the task, it was essential that the satellite carried two very large antennas. It was the first use of the 204 configuration (four strap-on boosters) of the H-IIA launch vehicle.