Of the 7 GRUS-3 satellites launched in July, 4 have been confirmed to have issues with their communications systems. High-speed communications for downloading data are not operating normally, and recovery efforts are proving difficult, according to reports.
Of the 7 GRUS-3 satellites launched on 7 July aboard a SpaceX rideshare mission, 4 were confirmed to have issues with their communications systems. The affected satellites are 3B, 3E, 3F and 3G, and a fault has occurred in the high-speed communications system used to download image data.
According to an announcement by the company, recovery efforts for the affected satellites had continued, but the Compliance and Risk Management Committee reported a conclusion at its 28 September meeting that continuing commercial operations would be difficult.
The issue is believed to involve a fault in a power amplifier circuit within the communications system, and a detailed investigation into the cause is currently under way.
The remaining 3 satellites, 3A, 3C and 3D, have shown no abnormalities and continue to undergo initial operations. However, quality checks ahead of the start of commercial operations are being conducted cautiously.
アクセルスペースホールディングス said it will consider measures to review its development processes and improve satellite quality and reliability.