Store-and-Forward 3U cube sat project tricom and its utilization for development and education: The cases of TRICOM-1R and JPRWASAT

The TRICOM project of the Intelligent Space Systems Laboratory (ISSL) aims to develop an affordable solution for satellite-based ground-to-space communication and satellite development hands-on training opportunities. The project involves a high level of international cooperation for testing the technology and establishing a global constellation of TRICOM CubeSats. The first TRICOM satellite, TRICOM-1R, is a ''store-and-forward'' 3U CubeSat launched on JAXA's SS-520-5 rocket in February 2018. It builds upon the Hodoyoshi project, which aimed to develop cost-competitive microsatellites using parts available in the Japanese domestic market and has produced 60 kg-class microsatellites Hodoyoshi 3 and 4, which were launched in 2014. The second TRICOM satellite, JPRWASAT, is the first Rwandan satellite jointly developed with the ISSL. JPRWASAT is an enhanced version of TRICOM-1R, with the addition of a multispectral camera. It is included in a large-scale capacity building program to provide Rwanda with satellite development and data utilization capabilities. This paper introduces the concept of the TRICOM project and presents the design and operation results of its first orbital satellite, TRICOM-1R, and the international pilot project JPRWASAT. In particular, stress is placed upon the importance of international collaboration for the TRICOM project.