NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

VEP 2 & LRE

Launch Time
Wed Aug 29, 2001 07:00 UTC

First flight of H-IIA 202, and first flight of an H-IIA rocket.

Rocket

H-IIA 202
Image Credit: MHI
MHI
Status: Active
Price: $90.0 million
Payload to LEO: 10,000 kg
Payload to GTO: 4,100 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 2
Rocket Height: 53.0 m
Fairing Diameter: 4.07 m
Fairing Height: 12.0 m

Mission Details

VEP 2

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.

Payloads: 1
Elliptical

LRE

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.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 86.0 kg
Elliptical

Location

LA-Y1, Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

Stats

2001

38th orbital launch attempt

H-IIA

1st mission
1st mission of 2001
1st successful mission