JAXA H3 #6 Launch 2026-06-12

from https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2026/04/20260424-1_e.html

JAXA states that H3 Flight 6 will carry VEP-5 plus the six rideshare payloads:

PETREL
STARS-X
BRO-22
VERTECS
HORN-L
HORN-R

… the only frequencies located thus far are for the child sats from STARS-X

https://iaru.amsat-uk.org/finished_detail.php?serialnum=826

Proposing a UHF downlink with 9k6 FSK 1k2 AFSK Analogue SSTV , a digitalker and CW. Planning a launch from the Uchinoura space Center into a 500km polar orbit. A downlink and inter-satellite link has been coordinated on 436.325 MHz as well as a downlink on 437.750 MHz

There is additional launch info at

https://fanfun.jaxa.jp/countdown/h3f6/

… and in particular a PDF detailing the ride-along sats:

https://www.jaxa.jp/press/2026/04/files/jaxa20260424-1_01.pdf

… I had ChatGPT generate an English translation; that’s at:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nyvpzjnkjr9we8d90de4h/JAXA_H3F6_ALL_PAGES_ENGLISH_TRANSLATION.pdf?rlkey=9s76fy3v57fmpw0l6djijd5nz&dl=0

Hopefully some info about the other ride-along sats will surface.

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Forgot:

VERTECS does have an ITU listing for an X-Band downlink, but I’m not aware of any X-Band contributions to SatNogs

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Looks like this launch has been pushed to 12-June.

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I’m not sure if I’ll manage to get prepared for that deployment on time, any help on adding the satellites and their transmitters in DB will be more than appreciated. More details on how to suggest satellites and transmitters can be found in Satellite Suggestions - SatNOGS Wiki and in Transmitter Suggestions - SatNOGS Wiki

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Hello K4KDR Scott,

The development of TCU-00 was reportedly discontinued in May 2022, and its components and technologies were subsequently incorporated into the development of TCU-01. Therefore, it is my understanding that TCU-00 is not expected to be launched as part of this mission.

Best regards,
Kazuki NISHIOKA, JF6FYI

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Thank you for the update!

So, is Stars-X going to fly on its own… without releasing the 2 other sats?

Hello K4KDR Scott,

As I understand it, STARS-X is a single spacecraft consisting of two sections connected by a deployable 1-km tether. Confusingly, these sections are referred to as the “parent satellite” and the “child satellite.”

According to the mission description, STARS-X carries only a small robot that moves along the tether and four mock debris targets. I am not aware of any independent daughter satellites being carried for deployment.

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I missed it ‘live’, but here’s the launch URL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSiaGTea1rc

…looks like the terminal countdown is around 55:26

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the smile of success! congratz JAXA!!


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Temporary NORAD ID Satellite Frequency Transmission Notes Deployment
UHF
98001 BRO-22 401.735 MHz FSK AX.100 Mode 5 9600 - Directly
- PETREL - MHz FM - Directly
- VERTECS - MHz FM - Directly
- HORN-L MHz FM - Directly
- HORN-R MHz FM - Directly
AMATEUR UHF
STARS-X 437.750 MHz 9k6 FSK 1k2 AFSK IARU coordinated Directly
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Launch Time: 9:53:59 (JST) (UTC+9)

SSO
Launch Time: 2026-06-12T00:53:59 UTC
target altitude : 576 km
inclination: 97.69 degrees
Launch: Tanegashima Space Center
Latitude 30.4009°
Longitude 130.976°

faketle -q 575 -Q 577 -I 97.69 -t 2026-06-12T00:53:59 -n 221.5 -m 149.1 -d 300 -i 98001 > fake-ok.txt

satorbit -c fake-ok.txt -q -t 2026-06-12T00:58:59 -B 30.4009 -L 130.976


BRO-22
1 98001U 98001D   26163.04096065  .00000000  00000-0  50000-4 0    06
2 98001  97.6900 221.5000 0001438   0.0000 149.1000 14.97056775    03

STARS-X
1 98002U 99000D   26163.04096065  .00000000  00000-0  50000-4 0    07
2 98002  97.6900 221.5000 0001438   0.0000 149.1000 14.97056775    04


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Thanks @bali for the initial TLE, I used them to find signals belonging to this launch.

TLE update BRO-22

BRO-22
1 98001U 99000D   26163.82619192  .00000000  00000-0  50000-4 0    04
2 98001  97.6900 227.6151 0001438   0.0000  55.4842 14.99812694    02
# 20260612.76-20260612.83, 21 measurements, 0.027 kHz rms

Jan | PE0SAT

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Outstanding! Do we know, or have a guess which satellite that downlink is from?

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Have a look at this post I had a quick look at STARS-X but there where no signals active.

Jan | PE0SAT

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Looking at IARU Sat Coordinator STARS-X will not be active on Amateur frequencies, its payload TCU-100 will be active, after release of STARS-X

A downlink and inter-satellite link has been coordinated on 436.325 MHz as well as a downlink on 437.750 MHz

Jan | PE0SAT

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Yes, but a post up above indicated that those child sats were not on this flight. So, we will have to see if anything is heard.

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Very strong 4k8 AX100 decodes from BRO-22 over the Eastern U.S.!

Many thanks to you all who worked on the orbit & located the freq!

https://x.com/scott23192/status/2065631676776984741

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On the same pass, possible decodes from one of the Stars-X frequencies. Clocked in as 9k6 AX100 but nothing in the payload to confirm if it’s from Stars-X. Hope so!

(Note: timestamp is from I/Q replay)

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I’ve added BRO-22 with tempoary NORAD ID 98304 and here are:

Initial TLE by @bali:

BRO-22
1 98304U 98001D   26163.04096065  .00000000  00000-0  50000-4 0    02
2 98304  97.6900 221.5000 0001438   0.0000 149.1000 14.97056775    09

And the updated by @PE0SAT:

BRO-22
1 98304U 99000D   26163.82619192  .00000000  00000-0  50000-4 0    00
2 98304  97.6900 227.6151 0001438   0.0000  55.4842 14.99812694    08
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About PETREL, there is a chance that it transmits on S-Band, according to this old (2023) paper https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5562&context=smallsat there are these downlinks:

S-band DOWN: 100K~1Mbps
X-band DOWN: 20Mbps

plus a global star one, I guess for status/telemetry updates.

However I’m unable to find the exact frequencies.

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