Today, we are excited to share how our product is contributing to Japan's space development. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), a national research and development agency responsible for Japan's space development, has purchased our infrared absorption flocked fabric, 'IR Flock Sheet.' When asked about its application, we learned that it is being used in a darkroom for testing their star tracker for satellites.

What is a star tracker?

A star tracker is an optical device that measures the positions of stars using a photodetector or camera. Astronomers have measured the positions of many stars with high precision, and by using a star tracker, satellites or spacecraft can determine their orientation (or attitude) relative to the stars. By confirming the positions of visible stars, the system determines the orientation and attitude of satellites, akin to navigating the vast ocean by observing the positions of stars. For testing these star trackers, a darkroom simulating space is essential, and the IR Flock Sheet is being utilized in this environment.

Introducing the Infrared Absorption Flocked Fabric 'IR Flock Sheet.'

The above graph shows the total reflectance rates from visible light to near-infrared up to 2500nm. The IR Flock Sheet achieves high light-absorption performance not only in the visible light range but also across the entire near-infrared spectrum up to 2500nm by embedding carbon into the pile fibers during production. Leveraging this performance, IR Flock Sheet is recommended for various applications such as backdrops for near-infrared photography, simulated infinite-distance calibration for near-infrared sensors, masking unwanted objects in proximity sensor testing environments, and reducing reflections in near-infrared motion capture setups. In the current darkroom application, the fabric is utilized for its ability to absorb both visible light and near-infrared light.

What about other special darkroom applications?

The IR Flock Sheet could also be utilized for special darkroom applications that require absorbing both visible light and near-infrared light. This makes it ideal for uses such as autonomous driving tests, smartphone facial recognition systems, and more. 

The IR Flock Sheet is available for direct purchase starting from A4 size, allowing for easy testing. Additionally, it is offered in rolls with an effective width of 950mm, which allows for use in larger areas.

In Conclusion

For those who have read this far and thought, 'In the end, it didn’t actually go to space, did it?' well, you would be correct. This time, the product was used for ground-based testing purposes and it unfortunately didn’t make it to space itself. However, our aim is to continue the development of black products so that they can one day be used in rockets and satellites that will be launched into space.