NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
International Space Flight (ESA, Russia, China and others) => Japanese Launchers => Topic started by: yoichi on 10/26/2017 03:51 am
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http://www.mbc.co.jp/news/mbc_news.php?ibocd=2017102600026191
H-IIA F37 will launch on December 23
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http://global.jaxa.jp/press/2017/10/20171027_h2af37.html
Launch of Global Changing Observation Mission - Climate "SHIKISAI" (GCOM-C) and Super Low Altitude Test Satellite TSUBAME" (SLATS) aboard H-IIA Vehicle No. 37
October 27, 2017 (JST)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
National Research and Development Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are pleased to announce the launch schedule for Global Changing Observation Mission - Climate "SHIKISAI" (GCOM-C) and Super Low Altitude Test Satellite "TSUBAME" (SLATS) by H-IIA launch vehicle No. 37.
Scheduled date of Launch : December 23 (Sat.), 2017
Launch time : 10:26:22 a.m. through 10:48:22 a.m. (JST)
Reserved Launch period : December 24 (Sun.), 2017 through January 31 (Wed.), 2018
Launch site : Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the tanegashima Space Center
H-IIA Launch vehicle No. 37 incorporates JAXA's newly developed outcome to insert SHIKISAI and TSUBAME into different orbit altitude respectively. It will expand opportunities of multiple satellite launch and take full advantage of the capability of HIIA.
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Note that as of right now, the start of the launch window for this falls on the exact same minute (!!!) as for the launch of Falcon 9/Iridium NEXT Flight 4 on the opposite side of the Pacific. IF (a very big one) this ultimately happens the two will be <=37 seconds apart, which will be an all time record (http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=43064.msg1692147#msg1692147). :o
I very much doubt both will manage to hold on schedule to that point with 57 days left but.....one never knows for sure when will we need split screens. ;) ;)
Technical info on GCOM-C can be found here (https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/g/gcom), and for SLATS here (https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/s/slats).
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GCOM-C mission logo
Super Low Altitude Test Satellite (SLATS) mission mark
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Press kit (Japanese)
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2017/10/files/20171027_h2af37_j.pdf
Looks like it may be from October but can't see a more recent version
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Live broadcast link will be here (well, you might need dual screens for that day (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=43940.msg1760796#msg1760796) :P ):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-UyZE-LIUA
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H-IIA F37 flight sequence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTScolqEcr8
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T-2 days and the launch time is still holding as I wrote this. (http://global.jaxa.jp/press/2017/12/20171221_h2af37.html)
Launch Time and Window, H-IIA F37 (with upgraded function) Encapsulating SHIKISAI and TSUBAME
December 21, 2017 (JST)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
National Research and Development Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
MHI and JAXA set the launch time and window of H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 37 (with upgraded function) which carries aboard the Global Changing Observation Mission - Climate "SHIKISAI" (GCOM-C) and the Super Low Altitude Test Satellite "TSUBAME" (SLATS). Refer to the following details;
Launch Date:
December 23 (Sat.), 2017
Launch Time:
10:26:22 a.m. (Japan Standard Time, JST)
Launch Window:
10:26:22 a.m. through 10:48:22 a.m. (JST)
Reserved Launch Period:
December 24 (Sun.), 2017 through January 31 (Wed.), 2018
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Weather forecast for Tanegashima, launch window for December 23: 10:26:22 a.m. through 10:48:22 a.m. (JST)
(JST = UTC + 9 hours)
http://space.jaxa.jp/tnsc/tn-weather/data/weekly.gif
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Rollout will be at around 11:30 UTC today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oP0yXbaT4Q
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Moved for live coverage!
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What's SHIKISAI?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVIAGRK2kOI
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http://h2a.mhi.co.jp/en/mission/countdown/h2a_f37.html
December 22, 2017 17:06 JST
First Go/No Go Decision -'Go'
This is an updated launch countdown report on the "SHIKISAI"(Global Changing Observation Mission - Climate) and "TSUBAME"(Super Low Altitude Test Satellite) , which will be launched using the H-IIA No. 37 Launch Vehicle (H-IIA F37). After the weather conditions checked out, the green light has been given for H-IIA F37 carrying "SHIKISAI" and "TSUBAME" to leave the Vehicle Assembly Building for the launch pad. The scheduled launch time is Dec. 23, 2017 10:26:22 a.m. JST.
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Rollout is underway right now.
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https://twitter.com/nvslive
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It seems that photos of the spacecraft and rocket haven't been posted yet, so they are here. ;)
GCOM-C:
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SLATS:
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H-IIA F37 (all photos via JAXA):
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English version of the launch timeline
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Not a straight line path!
PHILIPPINE SEA.
DNC 11, DNC 12, DNC 23.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING:
A. 230131Z TO 230158Z DEC IN AREA BOUND BY
29-19-00N 132-12-00E, 29-40-23N 132-24-32E,
29-49-43N 132-37-42E, 29-22-00N 133-25-00E,
28-48-00N 133-05-00E.
B. 230137Z TO 230216Z DEC IN AREA BOUND BY
26-03-00N 133-15-00E, 26-50-00N 134-45-00E,
25-28-00N 135-29-00E, 24-41-00N 133-59-00E.
C. 230144Z TO 230223Z DEC IN AREA BOUND BY
11-07-00N 130-30-00E, 10-52-00N 133-20-00E,
07-07-00N 132-59-00E, 07-23-00N 130-09-00E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 230323Z DEC 17.//
Authority: NAVAREA XI 828/17 211003Z DEC 17.
Date: 211020Z DEC 17
Cancel: 23032300 Dec 17
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J8611/17 - REF AIP SUP 176/17 ITEM 1,2,3 ROCKET H-2A-F37 WILL BE LAUNCHED LAUNCHING DATE/TIME : 0126 ON 23 DEC 2017. SFC - UNL, 21 DEC 05:22 2017 UNTIL 23 DEC 02:00 2017 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 21 DEC 05:23 2017
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Not a straight line path!
Yes, a good example of yaw steering/dog-leg maneuver, so as to achieve the desired sun-synchronous orbit when the launch azimuth for a direct flight would take the vehicle over another sovereign state's airspace (in this case, the Philippines), or put a drop zone onto land, or another sovereign state's territory.
(For the curious, "dog-leg" is an idiom in English. We have dog-legged roads, dog-legged fairways on golf courses, etc.--slightly, but not severely bent.
Why dog-leg instead of cat-leg or horse-leg (or any appropriate mammal leg), I don't know. One of the perks of being "man's best friend?")
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_flYdvbNBE
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William's article!
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/12/japanese-h-iia-rocket-gcom-c-mission/
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There's a pre launch live feed up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZHGFS7E6ys
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One hour and counting. Webcast should begin at 01:10 UTC.
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http://h2a.mhi.co.jp/en/mission/countdown/h2a_f37.html
December 23, 2017 09:21 JST
Third Go/No Go Decision
The green light has been given to the X-60 minutes terminal countdown operation.
December 23, 2017 09:26 JST
X-60 minutes
It is 60 minutes before launch. The final countdown operation has started.
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Now passing the half-hour mark in the countdown.
About 14 minutes until the webcast starts.
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http://h2a.mhi.co.jp/en/mission/countdown/h2a_f37.html
December 23, 2017 09:56 JST
X-30 minutes
It is 30 minutes before launch.
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H-2A/202 with GCOM-C and SLATS on the launch pad.
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From http://www.sacj.org/openbbs/index.html
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Five minutes until we're live.
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Technically, the live coverage has started with a static shot of the H-IIA.
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JAXA webcast about to start
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-UyZE-LIUA
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-UyZE-LIUA
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We're at T-15 minutes and counting. If you want to watch the Iridium-NEXT F4 mission's webcast, tune in to that one since it should start up any time now. That launch will occur 72 seconds after H-IIA leaves its pad.
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From the Tanegashima Space Center in the Japanese island of Tanegashima, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency presents live coverage of the 37th launch of an H-IIA rocket, carrying the GCOM-C and SLATS satellites into two different sun-synchronous orbits.
No weather or technical issues seem to be in work at the present time.
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H-IIA F37
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Launch summary video being played.
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Showing a film about the two satellites
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NOAA and NASA looking forward to a successful launch
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Quick statement from NOAA and NASA employees.
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GO for launch!
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T-9 minutes. This H-IIA 202 launch vehicle will take about 108 minutes to complete this dual-payload mission.
The first satellite to be deployed, GCOM-C, will study the Earth's carbon cycle from a 798-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. As for the second satellite, SLATS, it's powered by an ion engine and will show how certain satellites can operate in extremely low orbits. SLATS will be placed in a 450 by 643 kilometer orbit, but will lower its altitude to 180 by 268 kilometers in the near future.
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Back to the rocket on the pad. Just under ten minutes to launch. Final checks underway and all is looking good.
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T-8 minutes. Final Terminal Count sequence has started.
Continuing to proceed towards the planned T0 at 01:26:22 UTC.
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T-8 minutes. Terminal count has started.
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All systems are now in final operation and the restricted areas have been cleared.
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Range is green
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Range Safety Systems are GO and Range is GREEN for launch tonight.
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Six minutes to liftoff
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X-0 is 10:26:22 JST (01:26:22 UTC)
T-5 minutes
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T-5 minutes. At liftoff, the H-IIA should produce over 1.1 million pounds of thrust.
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5 m to launch...
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Automated sequence initiated
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T-4 minutes.
Automatic sequence is underway.
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Auto launch sequence... 4 m to launch.
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T-3 minutes.
First and second stage valves will be closed momentarily.
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X-3 minutes and counting. H-IIA F37 is on internal power.
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H-IIA now on internal power.
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3 m to launch... nice weather at Tanegashima... Launcher on inter power.
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Stage 1 LH2 pressurization complete.
Coming up on T-2 minutes.
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Tanks pressurised
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2 m to launch... pressurization complete.
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1 minute to launch!
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Stage 1 LOX pressurization complete.
T-1 minute and counting.
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One minute to launch
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T-45 seconds. Again, make sure to tune in to the Iridium-NEXT F4 launch if desired.
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T-30 seconds. Pad water deluge system turning on.
Main engine start will be commanded at T-4.7 seconds. Half a second before liftoff, the SRB-A3 motors will be ignited.
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T-15 seconds. Guidance flight mode is activated and the hydrogen burn igniters have been lit.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, main engine start, 4, 3, 2, 1, and we have liftoff. Liftoff of the GCOM-C and SLATS satellites atop the 37th H-IIA launch vehicle. We've cleared the tower.
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Pitch and roll programs have begun. The initial launch azimuth is 110 degrees, but a dogleg maneuver will be conducted before the end of first stage powered flight.
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LIFTOFF
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T+35 seconds. SRB-A3 chamber pressures look good. The LE-7A main engine also burning nicely.
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T+50 seconds. Mach 1 has been passed. Now going through Max-Q.
One minute into the flight.
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Launch!
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T+1 minute, 35 seconds.
SRB-A3 motors burning out. Standing by for jettison in about ten seconds.
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SRB-A3 jettison. Now 110 seconds into the mission.
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SRB-A burnout and sep
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T+2 minutes, 30 seconds. Next major event will be payload fairing jettison at 4 minutes, 5 seconds.
LE-7A engine still looking good, producing over 241,000 pounds of thrust in the vacuum of space.
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Entering space.
In other news, Falcon 9 also launched on time...
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Altitude 101.6 kilometers, velocity 1,400 meters per second.
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T+3 minutes, 40 seconds.
Flight path looks good.
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Just passed the four-minute mark.
And we have indication of payload fairing separation. Less than two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first stage burn.
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Fairing separation
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Altitude 183.6 kilometers, velocity 1,900 meters per second.
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Five minutes into the flight.
First stage propulsion still looks good.
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Flight proceeding as expected
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Altitude 272 kilometers, velocity 2,700 meters per second.
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T+6 minutes. Standing by for MECO in about 30 seconds.
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Guam AOS.
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In range of the Guam tracking station. Next event will be staging
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T+6 minutes, 38 seconds. First stage MECO has occurred.
We have 1-2 sep.
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And there's ignition and full thrust on the LE-5B engine. This first burn will last 491 seconds (8 minutes and 11 seconds).
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MECO, stage separation and second stage ignition
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Altitude 430 kilometers, velocity 3,600 meters per second.
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This is an eight-minute, 11-second burn.
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T+8 minutes.
Second stage propulsion is as expected.
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500 seconds into the flight. Still all looking good.
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Altitude 580 kilometers, velocity 3,950 meters per second.
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T+10 minutes.
About five minutes left in the first second stage burn.
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Altitude 667 kilometers, velocity 4,420 meters per second.
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Ten minutes into flight. "The H-IIA is in good shape"
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T+11 minutes, 40 seconds.
At the time of GCOM-C separation, the vehicle will be passing over the Philippines.
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Altitude 745 kilometers, velocity 5,270 meters per second.
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T+13 minutes.
It's cool how JAXA uses Google Earth to help track the flight of the H-IIA.
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Altitude 781 kilometers, velocity 6,300 meters per second.
Second stage propulsion looking good.
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T+15 minutes. Standing by for SECO-1.
And we have shutdown. Next major event will be GCOM-C separation in about a minute from now.
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There's SECO-1. Now coasting to GCOM-C separation.
Looked to be a couple seconds early, but the velocity looks good.
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Thirty seconds now from the first spacecraft separation.
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GCOM-C has separated from the second stage. The first half of the mission now complete.
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GCOM-C has separated
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The first restart of the LE-5B engine will occur at 57 minutes, 46 seconds. So with that, we'll take a commercial break for about 34 minutes before the second stage begins lowering its orbit to deploy SLATS. Don't go away, guys. Still more to come.
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Entering coast phase. Coverage will resume at about 11:20 JST (02:20 UTC)
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Live coverage should resume at 02:20 UTC.
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Animation about the GCOM-C mission
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Replay of SRB-A3 separation from the onboard cameras
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Replay of fairing separation
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And GCOM-C separation
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H-IIA F37 launches SHIKISAI / TSUBAME (しきさい/つばめ)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSKz_MCH3Sk
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About eight minutes remaining in the coast phase.
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Welcome back to the second part of tonight's coverage of the 37th H-IIA mission.
We're about five minutes away from the first restart of the second stage engine, whose second of three burns will last eight seconds.
You can also tune in to the Iridium-NEXT F4 webcast as that other rocket's second stage will restart momentarily and begin releasing its payloads 12 seconds after the LE-5B engine shuts down.
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Coverage is resuming for the restart
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Altitude 808.1 kilometers, velocity 7,532 meters per second.
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Currently, the Santiago tracking station is monitoring telemetry from the H-IIA.
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Altitude 803 kilometers, velocity 7,537 meters per second.
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And there's the second burn
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T+57 minutes, 30 seconds. Coming up on the short burst from the second stage engine.
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Restart has now occurred. Chamber pressures rising slightly.
And there's SECO-2. Starting now, a coast phase lasting 47 minutes and 51 seconds will last until the third burn of the second stage.
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Altitude 797 kilometers, velocity 7,456 meters per second.
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Dual-payload adaptor has separated. And we're back in a coast phase.
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Coming up on the separation of the Dual Payload Attach Fitting.
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Coverage will resume at 12:10 JST / 03:10 UTC
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And we have separation of the DPAF.
We'll now take another break before the last phase of powered flight. Stay tuned.
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Coverage will resume at 03:10 UTC.
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Onboard views of adaptor separation
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We're about 73 minutes into the flight. Coast phase appears to be nominal thus far.
As for the Iridium-NEXT F4 mission, that's pretty much over as those satellites will have finished their deployment sequence by now.
Again, the next milestone will be the third burn of the LE-5B engine, which will last 68 seconds. That should occur in about a half-hour.
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Many thanks to Zach and William for the coverage! Excellent work! I know it's still ongoing, but it's really appreciated not least because myself and Mark were holding the site together as half of LA was hitting the news site due to the Falcon 9 launch looking like a "UFO". Crazy.
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Now over an hour and a half into the mission, coming up on the third burn in a little over ten minutes' time
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Coverage will be resuming shortly. Five minutes until spacecraft separation - but we've got another burn before that.
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Welcome back to the third and final part of tonight's coverage of the 37th H-IIA mission.
We're two minutes away from the second restart of the second stage engine, whose last burn will have a duration of 68 seconds and inject the SLATS satellite into a 450 by 643 kilometer orbit.
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Altitude 473 kilometers, velocity 7,798 meters per second.
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One minute to go until the second restart.
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We should be in the third burn now, but oddly it doesn't seem to be showing on the graphic. Not sure if it isn't being covered, or if the flightplan has changed.
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Second stage should have been restarted again.
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Velocity is decreasing, which should be an indication that the third burn is taking place.
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And there goes SLATS! :)
Thanks again guys!
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SLATS has separated.
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Separation and end of webcast.
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Second stage shutdown should have occurred a few seconds ago.
Separation of the SLATS satellite will occur momentarily.
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SLATS separation confirmed! The 37th H-IIA mission concludes with a success, increasing the launch vehicle's success rate to 97.29% (36 out of 37)!
Congrats to JAXA and MHI Launch Services!
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We should be in the third burn now, but oddly it doesn't seem to be showing on the graphic. Not sure if it isn't being covered, or if the flightplan has changed.
The commentary volume on the YouTube web cast JAXA channel seems to be turned WAY down.
I heard the calls, faintly, for burn start and end.
Volume UP for S/C deploy!
Followed by the immediate end of the commentary from mission control center.
They're promising video footage of the (second) satellite deploy.
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As the webcast concludes for the night, I'll also sign off as well.
To all NSF members watching, merry Christmas and happy New Year!
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Now showing a replay of SLATS separation from a forward-facing camera on the second stage.
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And there's the replay of SLATS separation
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That's all folks!
Congratulations to MHI and JAXA on another successful launch.
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Congratulations to JAXA for successfully launching the Shikisai global change monitor and the SLATS low altitude experimental satellite! I thought the webcast had some cool animations and features about Shikisai’s science as well, though my Japanese is non existent so I couldn’t follow along as well as a Japanese speaker could. (I did appreciate the snippets in English though and the graphics were easy to understand).
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Congratulations to MHI Launch Services and JAXA for the successful launch! Special thanks to Yoichi, Zach and William for their coverage.
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http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/gcom_c/topics.html#topics11204
Dec. 23, 2017 Updated
SHIKISAI Solar Array Deployment – Images
The reception of telemetry data from JAXA's SHIKISAI satellite was made at 10:44 a.m. at the JAXA Mingenew Station, Australia, confirming SHIKISAI’s solar array deployment above Australia.
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http://global.jaxa.jp/press/2017/12/20171223_tsubame.html
Super Low Altitude Test Satellite "TSUBAME" (SLATS), Current Status
Approximately at 12:54 p.m. (Japan Standard Time, JST), the JAXA Santiago Ground Station, Chile received the signals from TSUBAME (SLATS; Super Low Altitude Satellite), launched from the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center earlier at 10:26:22 a.m. (JST), December 23, 2017. The signal reception confirms that the satellite’s solar array deployment and attitude control based on the onboard sun sensors have occurred as scheduled.
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5 objects have been cataloged
Orbit for the first one:
2017-082A/43065 in 788 x 793 km x 98.7°
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http://global.jaxa.jp/press/2017/12/20171224_shikisai_tsubame.html
Completion of Critical Operations Phase, SHIKISAI and TSUBAME
December 24, 2017 (JST)
JAXA received telemetry data from SHIKISAI and TSUBAME, confirming that their satellite attitude control system had transitioned to the steady state. Current status of both satellites is stable.
Subsequently, the following procedure occurred – power generation that supports the satellites’ operation by the deployed solar array wings, ground communications and sound attitude control that maintains those operations. Combined by the completion of the series of other operations, such as powering up of the bus and mission equipment, the satellites have entered the state where they can be sustained in orbit. This concludes their critical operations phase*¹.
SHIKISAI and TSUBAME will move on to the next operations phase*², where the functions of the satellites’ onboard apparatus will be examined approximately in the next three-month period.
JAXA conveys deep appreciation for the support by all for the satellites’ launch and tracking.
*¹ Critical operations phase: the phase that follows satellite’s separation from a launch vehicle, solar array deployment, and powering up of instruments for the satellite’s regular operations. The critical operations phase comes to an end at the start of the satellite’s control mode for nominal operation.
*² Next operations phase: during this phase, the entire satellite, its observation/mission sensors and other onboard equipment are scrutinized.
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Congratulations to all concerned in this successful launch. Thanks also to those covering it for this site.
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https://twitter.com/shiro_stamemo
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The @JAXA_jp Tsubame (SLATS) low altitude test satellite, launched in 2017, has reached a 163 x 166 km orbit. This plot shows how its orbit has been actively lowered in stages:
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1178733886546890753
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JAXA's Tsubame (SLATS) low orbit test satellite confirmed to have reentered between 1420 and 1500 UTC Oct 1 from a final 133 x 147 km orbit.
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1179485589726531588