| RAIKO | |
| Mission Type: | Technology demonstration |
| Operator: | Tohoku University Wakayama University |
| Cospar Id: | 2012-038B (1998-067CN) |
| Satcat: | 38852 |
| Mission Duration: | 284 days (achieved) 100 days (planned) |
| Spacecraft Type: | CubeSat |
| Manufacturer: | Tohoku University Wakayama University |
| Dimensions: | 10 cm x 10 cm x 20 cm (2U) |
| Launch Date: | 21 July 2012, 02:06:18 UTC[1] |
| Launch Rocket: | H-IIB F3 |
| Launch Site: | Tanegashima, Yoshinobu LC-Y2 |
| Launch Contractor: | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries |
| Deployment From: | ISS Kibō Delivered by Kounotori 3 |
| Deployment Date: | 4 October 2012, 15:44:15.297 UTC |
| Last Contact: | 15 July 2013 |
| Decay Date: | 6 August 2013 [2] |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric orbit |
| Orbit Regime: | Low Earth orbit |
| Orbit Inclination: | 51.65° |
| Apsis: | gee |
RAIKO (ja|雷鼓, literally thunder drum) is a Japanese satellite which was built and operated by Tohoku and Wakayama Universities. A two-unit CubeSat, RAIKO was deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on 4 October 2012, having been launched on 21 July 2012.
RAIKO was launched aboard the Kounotori 3 (HTV-3) spacecraft,[3] atop an H-IIB launch vehicle flying from pad LC-Y2 of the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Center. The launch occurred at 02:06:18 UTC on 21 July 2012.[1] Four other CubeSats were launched with RAIKO; WE WISH, FITSAT-1, TechEdSat-1 and F-1. The five CubeSats was delivered to the International Space Station for deployment. CubeSats were deployed from Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Kibō via the J-SSOD system on 4 October 2012.[4] [5]
Named after a Japanese god of thunder,[6] RAIKO is a spacecraft, which was used for technology demonstration. It carries a camera with a fish-eye lens for Earth imaging,[7] a prototype star tracker, a deployable membrane to slow the satellite, lowering its orbit, a photographic system to measure the satellite's movement relative to the International Space Station, and a Ku-band antenna for communications and Doppler ranging experiments.[8]
WE WISH, RAIKO, FITSat 1, F-1, and TechEdSat-1 travelled to orbit aboard Kounotori 3 (HTV-3).[9]