2F035

2F035 is the designation given to a small Earth‑observing satellite developed by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency in collaboration with the University of Tokyo. The satellite was launched on 12 March 2025 aboard a Soyuz‑2‑1b expendable launcher from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. It entered a near‑circular sun‑synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 500 km and an inclination of 98°, allowing it to provide global coverage with a repeat time of roughly 5 days.

The satellite bus was designed by Toshiba Aerospace and weighs 120 kg at launch. A 200 W power system composed of solar panels and nickel‑metal hydride batteries provides energy for scientific payloads and command and control functions. The primary payload is a 3‑band multispectral imager that captures images in the visible, near‑infrared and short‑wave infrared bands with a ground resolution of 30 m. Data are downlinked to ground stations located in Tokyo, Fort Collins and São Paulo via the U.S. Deep Space Network.

The 2F035 mission contributes to the International Polar Year 2025 initiative by monitoring sea‑ice thickness, sea‑level rise and ocean colour variations. Routine science data are made available through an open‑access archive maintained by the Japan Data Analysis Center. The satellite operated nominally for two years, during which it exceeded its planned lifetime and produced more than 50,000 high‑quality imagery products.