ETS-II Experiments Part I: Japan's First Geostationary Satellite

Engineering Test Satellite Type II (ETS-11) "Kiku-2" was launched on February 23, 1977, and positioned in geostationary orbit at 130°E on March 5. Propagation experiments have been carried out by using 3 coherent beacons at 1.7, 11.5, and 34.5 GHz on a 24 h/day basis from late in April. The project and related plans are outlined. The 4 papers which follow in this Transactions introduce the experimental system and preliminary results using data from May to November 1977.