The hull of SOHLA-1 (photo), a satellite a group of smaller businesses in Higashi Osaka City (Osaka Prefecture) is building, is put on display for the public. The satellite is being built by Astro Technology SOHLA (Higashi Osaka City, President: Osamu Takeuchi) by putting together technologies of small and medium enterprises.

The satellite is a cube of 50cm x 50cm x 50cm and weighs 50kg. With the cooperation of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), it is expected to be completed in or around the autumn of 2007 and to be launched by an H2A rocket in fiscal 2008. The group is also developing 'SOHLA-2' of the same model. Whichever is successfully launched first will be named 'Maido No.1.'The group plans to mass-produce the satellite in the future as a multi-purpose commercial satellite for disaster and meteorological observation. The hull is on display at the JAXA Clean Room in the South Annex of Creation Core Higashi Osaka in the city through January 20, 2007.

Higashi Osaka City is known as a 'Manufacturing city'with high-density clustering of smaller enterprises. The group was established in 2002 for small and medium enterprises to bring together their technological capability to build and launch a satellite.

For inquiries, please contact Astro Technology SOHLA (Japanese only) (Tel: 06-6747-8081)

From Kansai Window Kippo News December 6th, 2006