  We present here the results of the first part of the VLBI Ecliptic Plane
Survey (VEPS) program. The goal of the program is to find all compact sources
within $7.5^\circ$ of the ecliptic plane which are suitable as calibrators for
anticipated phase referencing observations of spacecraft and determine their
positions with accuracy at the 1.5~nrad level. We run the program in two modes:
the search mode and the refining mode. In the search mode, a complete sample of
all sources brighter than 50 mJy at 5 GHz listed in the Parkes-MIT-NRAO (PMN)
and Green Bank 6~cm (GB6) catalogs, except those previously detected with VLBI,
is observed. In the refining mode, the positions of all ecliptic plane sources,
including those found in the search mode, are improved. By October 2016,
thirteen 24-hr sessions that targeted all sources brighter than 100~mJy have
been observed and analyzed. Among 3320 observed target sources, 555 objects
have been detected. We also conducted a number of follow-up VLBI experiments in
the refining mode and improved the positions of 249 ecliptic plane sources.
