Ajisai

Means "hydrangea", also called EGP

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General

Designation	16908 / 86061A
Launch date	12 Aug 1986
Country of origin	Japan
Mission	Scientific: geodesy
Perigee/Apogee	1479/1497 km
Inclination	50°
Period	115.7 min
Launch vehicle	H1

Japanese satellite designed to provide an orbiting benchmark for geodynamical studies of the Earth. Laser retroflectors are mounted on the surface of the spherical satellite to return incident laser radiation to its point of origin.

Technical data

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Specifications

Mass at launch	685 kg
Diameter	2.15 m
Stabilization	passive

It featured 1436 (120 sets) Corner-cube Reflectors and 318 Sunlight Reflection Mirrors

Mission: accurate measurement of the satellite's position with respect to Earth; readjustment of domestic triangulation net for accurate map-making; establishment of ocean geodetic net to position outlying islands.

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