VEP 2 & LRE

The VEP 2 (Vehicle Evaluation Payload) was a Japanese spacecraft launched by the maiden H-2A-202 rocket from the Tanegashima launch site. It provided a ranging function and functions to measure the acceleration and deformation, confirmed the accuracy of the H-2A-202 rocket orbit injection, and provided an understanding of the environment of the payload equipment. It remained intentionally attached to the second stage of the H-2 launch vehicle. It also carried the LRE sub-satellite, which was deployed in orbit.

Initially, LRE (Laser Ranging Equipment) was used to evaluate the accuracy of the initial trajectory determination of the H-2A-202 launch vehicle. Subsequently, the satellite was used to verify SLR station performance, as a target for a wide dynamic range of transmitting/receiving tests up to geosynchronous orbit for optical communication and SLR, and to evaluate the air drag model using SLR data. Retroreflector Array Characteristics: The array consists of 126 cube corners and 24 plate mirrors. There are two kinds of cube corners (fused silica and BK7). The approximate center of mass correction is 210 mm.