NSSDCA/COSPAR ID: 2019-084A
ALE-2 is from Japanese company Astro Live Experiences. The 75-kilogram satellite will demonstrate the ability to produce artificial meteor showers by releasing colored projectiles that will burn up in the upper atmosphere.
As its name suggests, ALE-2 is the Japanese company's second such satellite. The first, ALE-1, launched this January aboard a Japanese Epsilon rocket and is also scheduled to deploy its colorful sky pellets sometime in 2020, after some on-orbit tests, company representatives have said.
The artificial meteors will travel more slowly through Earth's sky than real ones and will thus remain visible longer — 3 to 10 seconds, ALE representatives have said. The pellets are designed to burn up completely between 37 and 50 miles (60 to 80 kilometers) above Earth's surface and therefore will pose no threat to people on the ground or planes in the air,
Launch Date: 2019-12-06
Launch Vehicle: Electron
Launch Site: Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office