Engineering model test of LUCE (Laser Utilizing Communications Equipment)

The laser utilizing communications equipment (LUCE) installed on the optical inter-orbit communications engineering test satellite (OICETS) has been developed by NASDA (National Space Development Agency of Japan) from 1993 in order to perform the inter-satellite optical link experiment with ARTEMIS (advanced relay and technology mission satellite) of ESA (European Space Agency). The engineering model (EM) of LUCE has been manufactured and the development test has been prepared for verification of the design. The design of LUCE EM and its test plan are reported in this paper.