CUTE-1.7 + APD II

CUTE-1.7 + APD II, or CUTE-1.7+APD 2, is a Japanese nanosatellite which was launched in 2008 as a follow-up to the CUTE-1.7 + APD satellite. It was built and is operated by the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

CUTE-1.7 + APD II used a similar design to its predecessor, however it was stretched in height meaning that it no longer complied with the CubeSat form factor which the original satellite was based on. It has dimensions of 20 by 15 by 10 centimetres (7.9 by 5.9 by 3.9 in),[2] compared to 20 by 10 by 10 centimetres (7.9 by 3.9 by 3.9 in) for CUTE-1.7 + APD, which was a standard two-unit CubeSat.[3] The onboard computer is a Personal Digital Assistant developed by Hitachi.

The University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies was contracted to launch CUTE-1.7 + APD II, subcontracting the launch to the Indian Space Research Organisation as part of the Nanosatellite Launch Service 4 (NLS-4) mission along with CanX-2, AAUSat II, COMPASS-1. Delfi-C3 and SEEDS 2.[4] ISRO used a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, flight number C9, to launch NLS-4 - with the rocket flying in the Core Alone, or PSLV-CA, configuration.[5] The rocket's primary payload was CartoSat-2A, with IMS-1, Rubin-8 and the University of Toronto's NLS-5 mission - consisting of the CanX-6 satellite - also flying aboard the rocket as secondary payloads.[6]

The launch took place at 03:53:51 UTC on 28 April 2008, with the satellites being deployed from the rocket shortly afterwards.[7] As of 24 January 2015, CUTE-1.7 + APD II is in a 606 by 606 kilometres (377 by 377 mi) orbit inclined at 97.67 degrees to the equator.[1] Although only designed for a two-month mission, it still remains operational and continues to transmit data to the ground station at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.[8]