The optical communication device VSOTA (a very small optical transmitter) developed by National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) was installed on the Rapid International Scientific Experiment Satellite (RISESAT) and launched in 2019. We are starting an initial orbit check using VSOTA. In this chapter, initial checkout experiments are performed and confirmed that VSOTA functions are operating normally.

Chapter Contents:

• 41.1 Introduction
• 41.2 Component of VSOTA
• 41.3 Initial experiment
• 41.3.1 Checkout of VSOTA
• 41.3.2 Tracking accuracy from satellite
• 41.3.3 Optical tracking from OGS
• 41.4 Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• References

Inspec keywords: satellite links; optical communication; optical transmitters; artificial satellites

Other keywords: VSOTA functions; optical communication experiment; microsatellite body-pointing; optical transmitter; RISESAT; optical communication device VSOTA; initial orbit check; Rapid International Scientific Experiment Satellite

Subjects: Optical communication equipment; Free-space optical links