Arase (satellite)

Arase
	Artistic rendering of Arase in orbit.
Mission type	Earth observation
Operator	JAXA
COSPAR ID	2016-080A
SATCAT no.	41896
Mission duration	9 years, 2 months and 26 days (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	NEC
Launch mass	~350 kg
Power	≧700 W
Start of mission
Launch date	11:00, December 20, 2016 (UTC)
Rocket	Epsilon
Launch site	Uchinoura
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Perigee altitude	~460 km
Apogee altitude	~32110 km
Inclination	~31 degrees
Period	~565 minutes
Instruments
	Extremely high-energy electron sensor (XEP-e); High-energy particle sensor – electron (HEP-e); Medium-energy particle sensor – electron (MEP-e); Low-energy particle sensor – electron (LEP-e); Medium-energy particle – ion (MEP-i); Low-energy particle – ion (LEP-i); Magnetic Field Experiment (MGF); Plasma Wave Experiment (PWE); Software Wave-Particle Interaction Analyzer (S-WPIA);

Arase, formerly known as Exploration of energization and Radiation in Geospace (ERG), is a scientific satellite to study the Van Allen belts. It was developed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of JAXA. The satellite was named after the Arase River in Kimotsuki, Kagoshima, where the Uchinoura Space Center is located.

It was launched aboard an Epsilon launch vehicle at 11:00:00, 20 December 2016 UTC into apogee height 32250 km, perigee 214 km orbit. Subsequent perigee-up operation moved its orbit to apogee 32110 km, perigee 460 km of 565 minutes period.