CIT-GARDENsChiba Institute of Technology CubeSat Program

About GARDENs

A program where students build CubeSats and operate them in space!

Thank you
GARDENs members in the development room
GARDENs members in the development room, Tsudanuma Campus

Program

Started in April 2021. Students design, build and operate CubeSats and learn to handle the whole system

Program page at PERC →

Name

Growing Advanced and Refined space Development ENgineers
in succession and under the satellite

The name stands for training space engineers through satellite development. The student team in the program is called GARDENs

CubeSat

A CubeSat is a small satellite built to a common size standard

10×10×10 cm is 1U, 20×10×10 cm is 2U and 30×10×10 cm is 3U. Students handle everything from mission planning to operation

Roles

Design, manufacturing and operation are shared across

  • Mission & systems
  • Structure & thermal
  • Power (EPS)
  • Communications & ground station
  • C&DH & software
  • Attitude control
  • Safety
  • Public relations

Lab

  • YOMOGI, KASHIWA and SAKURA
  • Development room
  • Testing
  • Structural frame
  • Door sign of the Advanced Engineer Training Project

Characters

Character illustrations for each satellite: Niwa Circle

Yomogi-tanYomogi-tanNo.1 YOMOGIKashiwa-tanKashiwa-tanNo.2 KASHIWASakura-tanSakura-tanNo.3 SAKURABotan-tanBotan-tanNo.4 BOTAN

History

Timeline

Development and operation of satellites No.1 to No.6

  • Development
  • Awaiting launch
  • Launch to deployment
  • Operation
  • Ongoing
Development and operation of satellites No.1 to No.6: development, awaiting launch, launch to deployment and operation periods of each satellite2021202220232024202520262027YOMOGINo.1DevelopmentYOMOGI Development: 2021.06 → 2024.06 ／ 36 monthsYOMOGI Awaiting launch: 2024.06 → 2024.11 ／ 5 monthsYOMOGI Launch to deployment: 2024.11 → 2024.12 ／ 1 monthsYOMOGI Operation: 2024.12 → 2025.03 ／ 4 monthsKASHIWANo.2DevelopmentKASHIWA Development: 2022.01 → 2023.11 ／ 23 monthsKASHIWA Awaiting launch: 2023.11 → 2024.03 ／ 4 monthsKASHIWA Launch to deployment: 2024.03 → 2024.04 ／ 1 monthsKASHIWA Operation: 2024.04 → 2024.08 ／ 4 monthsSAKURANo.3DevelopmentSAKURA Development: 2022.07 → 2024.04 ／ 22 monthsSAKURA Awaiting launch: 2024.04 → 2024.08 ／ 4 monthsSAKURA Launch to deployment: 2024.08 → 2024.08 ／ 1 monthsSAKURA Operation: 2024.08 → 2024.11 ／ 3 monthsBOTANNo.4DevelopmentBOTAN Development: 2023.04 → 2025.02 ／ 23 monthsBOTAN Awaiting launch: 2025.02 → 2025.09 ／ 7 monthsBOTAN Launch to deployment: 2025.09 → 2025.10 ／ 1 monthsBOTAN Operation: 2025.10 → 2026.03 ／ 5 monthsMOMIJINo.5DevelopmentMOMIJI Development: 2024.11 → 2026.08 ／ 22 monthsMOMIJI Awaiting launch: 2026.08 → Ongoing ／ 2 monthsAYAMENo.6AYAME Development: 2025.12 → Ongoing ／ 11 months
  1. Apr 2021Advanced Engineer Training Program started
  2. Jun 2021No.1 YOMOGI Development start
  3. Jan 2022No.2 KASHIWA Development start
  4. Jul 2022No.3 SAKURA Development start
  5. Apr 2023No.4 BOTAN Development start
  6. 27 Nov 2023No.2 KASHIWA Handover to JAXA
  7. 22 Mar 2024No.2 KASHIWA Launch: Falcon 9 / Dragon CRS-30
  8. 11 Apr 2024No.2 KASHIWA Deployed from ISS
  9. 17 Apr 2024No.3 SAKURA Handover to JAXA
  10. 5 Jun 2024No.1 YOMOGI Handover to JAXA
  11. 5 Aug 2024No.3 SAKURA Launch: Falcon 9 / Cygnus NG-21
  12. 11 Aug 2024No.2 KASHIWA Mission ended
  13. 29 Aug 2024No.3 SAKURA Deployed from ISS
  14. Nov 2024No.5 MOMIJI Development start
  15. 5 Nov 2024No.1 YOMOGI Launch: Falcon 9 / Dragon CRS-31
  16. 29 Nov 2024No.3 SAKURA Mission ended
  17. 9 Dec 2024No.1 YOMOGI Deployed from ISS
  18. 28 Feb 2025No.4 BOTAN Handover to JAXA
  19. 31 Mar 2025No.1 YOMOGI Mission ended
  20. 16 Sep 2025No.4 BOTAN Launch: Falcon 9 / Cygnus NG-23
  21. 10 Oct 2025No.4 BOTAN Deployed from ISS
  22. Dec 2025No.6 AYAME Development start
  23. 3 Mar 2026No.4 BOTAN Mission ended
  24. 26 Aug 2026No.5 MOMIJI Handover to JAXA
  25. Awaiting launchNo.5 MOMIJI
  26. In developmentNo.6 AYAME