That’s just one of 16 innovative and experimental sats that launched Sunday

Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is celebrating after the successful Sunday launch of its Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration No. 4, which is packed with 16 intriguing payloads.

The aim of JAXA’s Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program is to test ideas proposed by researchers from academia and private industry. The space agency issues an open call for proposals, then conducts a competitive evaluation process to select payloads. Advancing Japan’s capabilities in space, and the competitiveness of the nation’s space industry, are major goals of the program.

Sixteen experiments made the cut for this mission, which after a few weather-related delays made it into space on Sunday atop a Rocket Lab Electron that launched from New Zealand. You can watch the launch below.

Youtube Video

The main payload aboard the rocket was RAISE-4, a 110-kg satellite carrying eight experiments, including:

• LEOMI – an in-orbit demonstration of MIMO networking technology ...