Live satellites over Japan’s space sites.

Japan launches from two sites in Kagoshima and runs its missions from Tsukuba and Sagamihara. Choose one of the five places below and the globe turns to it, then lists what crosses its sky today in Japan Standard Time.

 

Next over Tanegashima: Computing… · ALOS-4

Computed from today’s orbital elements from CelesTrak. Drag the globe, scroll or pinch to zoom.

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About ALOS-4

JAXA’s L-band radar satellite, imaging Japan’s land through cloud and darkness, and successor to ALOS-2.

  • Launched on the third H3 from Tanegashima at 12:06 pm JST on 1 July 2024.
  • Its PALSAR-3 radar widens the swath from ALOS-2’s 50 km to 200 km.
  • About 3,000 kg, flying 628 km up in the same orbit as ALOS-2.

The launch pads

Tanegashima, JAXA’s spaceport in Kagoshima

Tanegashima Space Center sits on the south-east tip of Tanegashima, an island about 40 km south of Kyushu. Its Yoshinobu Launch Complex sends up Japan’s large rockets: the H-IIA until June 2025, and now the H3.

ALOS-4 left from here on the third H3, on 1 July 2024. The ground track shows where its radar passes over Japan on each orbit.

Operator
JAXA
Opened
1 October 1969
Shown
ALOS-4, ground track

Make this film in the studio Tanegashima Space Center

Satellites over five Japanese space sites.

Tanegashima, JAXA’s spaceport in Kagoshima

30.4026° N, 130.9742° E

Minamitane, Kagoshima. Operator: JAXA.

  • The centre covers about 9.7 million square metres.
  • H-IIA flew its 50th and final mission from here on 29 June 2025, carrying GOSAT-GW.
  • XRISM launched from Tanegashima at 8:42 am JST on 7 September 2023.

Sources: global.jaxa.jp, mhi.com

Uchinoura, where Japan launched its first satellite

31.2519° N, 131.0819° E

Kimotsuki, Kagoshima. Operator: JAXA.

  • Hayabusa launched from here on an M-V rocket in 2003.
  • The first Epsilon rocket launched from here on 14 September 2013.
  • Ohsumi stayed in orbit until 2 August 2003, about 33 years after launch.

Sources: global.jaxa.jp, en.wikipedia.org

Tsukuba, where JAXA runs Kibo on the space station

36.0658° N, 140.1298° E

Tsukuba, Ibaraki. Operator: JAXA.

  • The centre sits on a 530,000-square-metre site in Tsukuba Science City.
  • Satellites are tested here in vacuum and space-like thermal conditions before launch.
  • Its exhibition hall has a full-size Kibo mock-up and a model of the HTV cargo ship.

Sources: global.jaxa.jp, en.wikipedia.org

Miraikan, Tokyo’s museum of emerging science

35.6190° N, 139.7770° E

Odaiba, Tokyo. Opened: 2001.

  • Geo-Cosmos is about 6 m across and built from 10,362 organic EL panels.
  • The Geo-Cosmos globe weighs about 13 tonnes.

Sources: miraikan.jst.go.jp

Sagamihara, home of JAXA’s space science institute

35.5584° N, 139.3953° E

Sagamihara, Kanagawa. Institute: ISAS, part of JAXA.

  • The Sagamihara Campus opened in April 1989 as the main ISAS facility.
  • Hayabusa2’s capsule brought back 5.4 g of Ryugu, recovered in Australia on 6 December 2020.
  • The campus has a clean room for assembling scientific satellites.

Sources: isas.jaxa.jp, global.jaxa.jp

One live satellite film for Japanese space teams, on five screens.

Five screens, one computed film. On a wide screen the device next to the steps runs the live player for the site and satellite you last chose.

  1. The live player on a mission page, ALOS-4 over Tanegashima

    A live satellite tracker for a Japanese mission page

    ALOS-4, or your own satellite, on your site, recomputed whenever someone opens the page and timed in JST.

    WhoSpace companies, JAXA partners, universities

    WhenLaunches, first images, funding news

  2. The same player on a phone, ALOS-4 over Tanegashima

    A launch-day link for your customers’ phones

    Send one link on launch day. It opens the satellite on any phone and counts down to its first pass over home.

    WhoLaunch customers, partners, the press

    WhenLaunch day at Tanegashima and the weeks after

  3. Display mode on a portrait screen, ALOS-4 drawn with the other satellites Orbiwatch tracks

    A satellite display for a museum or lobby

    A portrait screen that keeps your satellite on the globe among the others in orbit, large enough to read from across a hall.

    WhoMuseums, visitor centres, company lobbies

    WhenOpening hours, unattended

  4. Display mode on a 16:9 screen, ALOS-4’s ground track over Japan

    Satellite passes for Japanese classrooms

    Trace the path a radar satellite takes over Japan, then count down to the next time it flies over the school.

    WhoSchools, universities, science clubs

    WhenA science lesson, an open campus day

  5. Presenter mode with ALOS-4 over Tanegashima

    A satellite orbit film for your next briefing

    The film fills the screen, a clicker steps through it, and every number is worked out the morning you present.

    WhoFounders and programme managers

    WhenFunding rounds, board meetings, ministry briefings

Satellites over Japan, computed today.

Every film starts from the elements CelesTrak publishes for its satellite, fetched again every two hours, and works the orbit forward from there.

Passes are computed for each site’s own coordinates and shown in Japan Standard Time, so Tanegashima and Tsukuba each get a sky of their own.

Orbital elements
CelesTrak, every 2 hours
Times
Japan Standard Time
Accurate for
Presentation, not navigation

Pricing for live satellite films.

Each plan below is playing its own film: the real player, computed from today’s orbital elements.

Living Film

A live satellite film for your website

US$200per film, per monthA$290per film, per month, ex GST€180per film, per month¥32,000per film, per monthCN¥1,350per film, per month

A mission page that stays true: your satellite, live on your site, and MP4s whenever you need a file.

  • Your satellite, site and brand, recomputed daily
  • A live embed locked to your domain
  • 1080p MP4 exports from our film pipeline
  • Cancel any month
Choose your film

ALOS-4 over Tanegashima, as it plays on a mission page. Drag the globe.

Display

A satellite display for a lobby or event

US$410per screen, per monthA$590per screen, per month, ex GST€370per screen, per month¥65,000per screen, per monthCN¥2,750per screen, per month

A lobby TV, kiosk or event screen that runs on its own for weeks.

  • Display mode, set up with one link
  • Your satellites and site, rotating through every story
  • Layouts for portrait, 16:9, 21:9, 4:3 and square
  • Presenter mode for pitches and briefings
Start a display

ALOS-4 over Tanegashima on a 16:9 lobby screen, in display mode.

Mission Film commission

A custom satellite launch film

US$4,800fromA$6,900from, ex GST€4,300from¥760,000fromCN¥32,000from

A custom film of your hardware and mission, cut for the launch video, the deck and the socials.

  • Designed by Vlad Kutepov: storyboard, scenes and edits made with you
  • Built on the same live engine
  • Every export the Living Film includes
  • A 25% deposit of US$1,200 books the workA 25% deposit of A$1,725 books the workA 25% deposit of €1,075 books the workA 25% deposit of ¥190,000 books the workA 25% deposit of CN¥8,000 books the work
Pay the deposit

A film cut: this page’s satellites as a constellation, framed like the export.

Prices are in US dollars, and checkout charges the price shown.Prices are in Australian dollars and exclude GST.Prices are in euros, and checkout charges the price shown.Prices are in Japanese yen, and checkout charges the price shown.Prices are in Chinese yuan, and checkout charges the price shown.

Make your film in the studio.

Pick a satellite and a place, and the film is computed live. Export it as an MP4, or put it on your own screen.

Make a film over Tanegashima See pricing
The Orbiwatch studio on a desktop: the satellite list, the live Kanyini film and the design panel
The studio on a phone: the live film above Kanyini’s numbers, with the bar for satellite, place, design, story and export