Space Flyer Unit reusable orbital experiment platform

The Space Flyer Unit was a Japanese reusable orbital experiment platform designed to carry scientific and engineering experiments and astronomical observations, then be retrieved for return to Earth. Its three-axis-stabilized spacecraft supported the Infrared Telescope in Space, materials furnaces, biology and plasma investigations, and technology demonstrations involving solar arrays and electric propulsion. The main body measured approximately 4.7 metres in diameter and 2.8 metres high, excluding its solar-array paddles. Launched by an H-II rocket in March 1995, the flown spacecraft was recovered by the Space Shuttle in January 1996, providing experience in long-duration free-flying research and international retrieval operations.