Liftoff of H-IIA Flight 19. Photo: NARITA Masahiro

[Via Satellite 11-05-201] Spaceflight Inc. and Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS) have announced a cooperative launch service agreement to integrate and deploy CubeSats from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Astro-H mission. Under this cooperative agreement, Spaceflight and JAMSS will launch and deploy eight 3U CubeSats for U.S. commercial customers.

Spaceflight is integrating the mission hardware to connect with the launch vehicle and deploy the CubeSats. JAMSS is Spaceflight’s link to JAXA and leads the launch campaign on the CubeSats’ launch vehicle integration. JAMSS’ expertise in JAXA processes and safety procedures is integral to the mission.

The Astro-H mission on the H-IIA launch vehicle is scheduled in Japanese Fiscal Year 2015 (April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016). The mission management campaign is underway and the rideshare manifest is fully booked for small satellites.