VEP 3

VEP 3 [NASDA]

The VEP 3 (Vehicle Evaluation Payload 3) was a demonstration payload flown on the second flight of the H-2A launch vehicle.

It consisted of instruments to monitor the thermal and acoustic launch environment on the dual launch adaptor to understand the conditions satellites will encounter while riding H-2A rockets to space. It remained intentionally connected to the cone section of the dual launch system. VEP 3 carried acoustic sensors, accelerometers and temperature sensors.

VEP 3 was also to deploy the DASH reentry demonstrator, before it was separated from the launch vehicle, but this small satellite failed apparently to separate from VEP 3.