Mission
EGP's mission is geodesy. The primary objectives were improving Japan's geodetic triangulation network, determining the position of remote islands, and integrating Japan's geodetic network with geodetic systems used in other parts of the world.
There are two modes of operation. A ground-based laser can be reflected off the satellite, and light's return time measured to determine the round-trip distance. Alternatively, when the satellite is in sunlight, it can be photographed against the background stars.
In both cases, since the satellite's orbit is precisely known, information about the ground-based observer's position can be calculated. EGP's orbital altitude is high enough that atmospheric drag has no significant effect on the spacecraft trajectory. This is advantageous for maintaining the stable orbit required for geodesy.
Read more about this topic: Experimental Geodetic Payload
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