The team of Japanese engineers working on the development of a "space elevator", will launch miniature satellites to test the technology, thus taking the first step towards making this concept of science fiction a reality. 

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 The experiment, first to be carried out in the space of a technology of this type, has been designed by a team made up of researchers from the University of Shizuoka and other institutions. Two ultra-small cubic satellites will be used to carry it out. Each satellite measures 10 centimeters on each side, and a steel cable approximately 10 meters long will be used to connect them together.

The pair of satellites will be launched from the International Space Station (ISS), and a container that acts as an elevator car will move on a cable that connects the satellites using a motor. A camera connected to the satellites will record the movements of the container in space.

The microsatellites will be transported to the orbital complex by the Japanese H-IIB-7 unmanned freighter, which is scheduled for launch from the Tanegashima Space Center on September 11, along with other small satellites.   

Although an experiment to extend a cable in space has been carried out previously, it will be the first test to move a container on a cable in outer space. If the experiment is successful, it will serve as a step forward to perform space elevators.