Kyushu Institute of Technology Holds Unveiling Ceremony for CubeSat 'VERTECS'

The Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech) and its partners were selected for the satellite development phase in the first public call for proposals for the JAXA-SMASH program, conducted by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) New Business Promotion Department. They have successfully developed the 'Visible Extragalactic background RadiaTion Exploration by CubeSat' (VERTECS).

The satellite, a 6U size (approx. 10cm x 20cm x 30cm) CubeSat, is equipped with a telescope for visible light observation. It aims to unravel the history of celestial formation by observing the 'cosmic background radiation,' which is the total amount of light emitted from the early universe to the present day.

To commemorate the completion of the 'VERTECS' CubeSat, an unveiling ceremony was held on May 14, 2026, at Kyutech's Tobata Campus.

At the ceremony, Kentaro Kitamura, Director of the Innovative Space Utilization Demonstration Center, delivered opening remarks, followed by an overview of the project provided by Assistant Professor Keisuke Sano of the Department of Space Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering. Afterward, the CubeSat was showcased to the media inside the university's clean room.

Following the handover of the satellite, it is scheduled to be launched and placed into orbit by the H3 rocket flight 6 (30 configuration test flight) on June 10, 2026.