Apparently decision was just made to de-manifest ALOS-4 from the 2nd launch of the H3 rocket, with a "dummy" vehicle evaluation payload put up on it instead. Also flight 2's configuration will also be changed to the regular -22 with 2 LE-9 engines and 2 SRBs, instead of the original planned -30 without SRBs and 1 extra engine.(see page 10 of the attached PDF)This launch also features LE-9 1st stage engines w/ medium-term fixes to turbopump blade & combustion chamber cracks found in LE-9's development; longer term fixes are still being tested.
Apparently there's a RFP for H-3 rideshares out now.Not sure if this is the right link or not thoughhttps://aerospacebiz.jaxa.jp/jaxa-smash/call-for-mission2/EDITThis seems to be the right URL...https://aerospacebiz.jaxa.jp/topics/koubo/h3rfi_20230605/Though apparently the deadline was so tight you basically had to have a satellite mostly already finished or ready to go to qualify...There should be an announcement soon of who is gonna ride.
Looks like 2 rideshares announced for H-3 test flight 2 just nowTIRSAT, a 3U sat, and CE-SAT-1E (previously rumored to have been scheduled to ride SpaceX Transporter 9 along with it's sister sat CE-SAT-1D)https://news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/akiyamaayano/20230627-00355449
...The schedule of the second launch will be determined based on the progress of the investigation into the cause of the failure of the first launch.
Iwao Igarashi of MHI says the failure investigation into the first H3 launch was completed last month, and the company hopes to perform a second flight before the end of the year. #WSBW
Per NHK the launch is scheduled on January 11, 2024, to be officially confirmed.The launch vehicle arrived at TNSC in October. This is the 3rd last H-IIA to fly.It also means the 2nd H3 rocket is very unlikely to fly within 2023 - as previous reports all point it to still launching within Fiscal Year 2023, a Q1 2024 launch seems very likely.
Draining of the fairing for H3 test machine No. 2 has already been completed.If you have good intuition, you may be able to predict the approximate launch time.
Name of container for H3 fairing, etc.
From the bottom.
...Explanatory Statement – Request for Special Temporary Authority for Launch ServicesComtech Telecommunications Corp. (“Comtech”), pursuant to Section 25.120 of theCommission’s rules, hereby requests Special Temporary Authority (“STA”) to operate its fixedtransmit/receive earth station at Yona, Guam for a period of up to 180 days to communicate withsatellites to be launched during this period by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(“JAXA”). The launch window is intended to cover multiple launches using H2A and H3 launchvehicles during which Comtech’s monitoring services will be required. The first launch using anH2A rocket is expected to occur as early as December 28, 2023 and will place a new Earthobservation satellite in orbit. The second launch, which will be the second test flight of the H3launch vehicle with several small experimental satellites onboard, is expected to occur at somepoint during the first quarter of 2024, with a launch window beginning in early February. A full180-day STA is requested to allow for potential launch slippage in each case....
Shown in video:MHI LE-5B-3 (Sea Level nozzle version) testing for H3 RTF:
Information about the second test vehicle has been added to the H3 rocket special site.Rocket performance confirmation payload (VEP-4) [2.6t]It has the same mass as ALOS-3 (Daichi-3).#H3TF2
JAXA H3 RTF Update (in Japanese) Livestream:
Does the second attached slide show the core will fly with one Type 1 LE-9 and one Type 1A LE-9?
Quote from: sdsds on 01/10/2024 08:30 amDoes the second attached slide show the core will fly with one Type 1 LE-9 and one Type 1A LE-9?That is correct.
Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 01/10/2024 08:33 amQuote from: sdsds on 01/10/2024 08:30 amDoes the second attached slide show the core will fly with one Type 1 LE-9 and one Type 1A LE-9?That is correct.What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 1A?
Japan's new H3 rocket is set for its second launch later today, 11 months after it failed during its maiden flight. The rocket will send a mass simulator and two small satellites to Sun-synchronous orbit from the Tanegashima Space Center.https://nasaspaceflight.com/2024/02/jaxa-second-h3/By William Graham (@w_d_graham).
Mass and centre of mass is the same as ALOS 3.
LAUNCH! Japan's H3 rocket launches for the second time, this time hoping to be successful.Overview:https://nasaspaceflight.com/2024/02/jaxa-second-h3/
Dogleg time! X2
Quote from: Steven Pietrobon on 02/16/2024 11:00 pmMass and centre of mass is the same as ALOS 3.What is the "Mt. FUJI" payload?
https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2023/12/20231228-1_e.html _e.htmlQuote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 12/28/2023 01:53 amhttps://global.jaxa.jp/press/2023/12/20231228-1_e.htmlLaunch Schedule of the second H3 Launch Vehicle (H3TF2)December 28, 2023 (JST)Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) hereby announces the launch schedule of the second H3 Launch Vehicle (H3TF2: Test Flight No.2） as follows. The H3TF2 will carry the Vehicle Evaluation Payload-4 (VEP-4) to conduct the flight demonstration. In addition, we will capitalize on the excess launch capability of the H3TF2 by providing launch and orbit insertion opportunities for two small secondary payloads (piggyback payloads), CE-SAT-IE and TIRSAT.Launch date : February 15, 2024Launch Window : 9:22:55 (JST) through 13:06:34 (JST) The time is the 24-hour clockReserved Launch Period : February 16 through March 31, 2024Launch site : Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Launch window confirmed as 00:22:55-04:06:34 UTC, February 15.Note that after deploying the hitchhiking payloads CE-SAT-IE & TIRSAT into a 675 km SSO, the 2nd stage de-orbits & only afterward does the dummy payload (named VEP-4 - Vehicle Evaluation Payload 4, 1st 3 were on H-II 1st launch (TF1) and the first 2 launches of H-IIA (TF1/2) respectively) got deployed while on the way down to test the payload separation mechanism.
https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2023/12/20231228-1_e.htmlLaunch Schedule of the second H3 Launch Vehicle (H3TF2)December 28, 2023 (JST)Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) hereby announces the launch schedule of the second H3 Launch Vehicle (H3TF2: Test Flight No.2） as follows. The H3TF2 will carry the Vehicle Evaluation Payload-4 (VEP-4) to conduct the flight demonstration. In addition, we will capitalize on the excess launch capability of the H3TF2 by providing launch and orbit insertion opportunities for two small secondary payloads (piggyback payloads), CE-SAT-IE and TIRSAT.Launch date : February 15, 2024Launch Window : 9:22:55 (JST) through 13:06:34 (JST) The time is the 24-hour clockReserved Launch Period : February 16 through March 31, 2024Launch site : Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Launch window confirmed as 00:22:55-04:06:34 UTC, February 15.Note that after deploying the hitchhiking payloads CE-SAT-IE & TIRSAT into a 675 km SSO, the 2nd stage de-orbits & only afterward does the dummy payload (named VEP-4 - Vehicle Evaluation Payload 4, 1st 3 were on H-II 1st launch (TF1) and the first 2 launches of H-IIA (TF1/2) respectively) got deployed while on the way down to test the payload separation mechanism.
On the 17th, #宇宙航空研究開発機構 ( #JAXA ) launched the second unit of its new main rocket " #H3 " from #種子島宇宙センター (Kagoshima Prefecture). This is the first debut of a new domestically produced flagship aircraft since the #H2 rocket in 1994. #H3成功 #打ち上げ成功Photo feature →https://mainichi.jp/graphs/20240217/mpj/00m/040/008000f/20240217mpj00m040004000p
GPSST, can you share a link to the PDF from which the attached images are extracted? I really love those detailedpress kits...
LAUNCH at 0022 UTC Feb 17 of the second H3 test flight from Tanegashima with the VEP-4 dummy payload aboard. Successful orbit insertion reported to have occurred at 0039 UTC. Two small sats, 70 kg CE-SAT-1E for Canon, and 5 kg TIRSAT 3U cubesat for Japan Space Systems, deployed
The second stage, with the 2900 kg, 5m long VEP-4 still attached, was to carry out its deorbit burn at 0211 UTC, a few minutes ago, to target reentry in the Southern Indian Ocean.
Quote from: jcm on 02/17/2024 01:02 amGPSST, can you share a link to the PDF from which the attached images are extracted? I really love those detailedpress kits...It's from JAXA's launch mission booklet: https://www.jaxa.jp/press/2023/12/files/20231228-1_01.pdf
Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 02/17/2024 01:09 amQuote from: jcm on 02/17/2024 01:02 amGPSST, can you share a link to the PDF from which the attached images are extracted? I really love those detailedpress kits...It's from JAXA's launch mission booklet: https://www.jaxa.jp/press/2023/12/files/20231228-1_01.pdfThanks, for some reason I couldn't find it on their website
CelesTrak has GP data for 3 objects from the launch (2024-032) of VEP 4, CE-SAT-1E, and TIRSAT atop an H-3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center on Feb 17 at 0022 UTC: https://spacenews.com/h3-reaches-orbit-on-second-launch/. Data for the launch can be found at: https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2024-032.
Three objects cataloged from the H3 launch in a 666 x 680 km x 98.1 deg sun-sync orbit with 0915 local time descending node. Presumably CE-SAT, TIRSAT and VEP-4/Stage 2. A bit surprised the latter was cataloged since it is already deorbited.
JAXA has confirmed TIRSAT separation (signal sent), 2nd stage de-orbit burn and VEP-4 separation post-de-orbit have all occurred nominally.https://www.jaxa.jp/press/2024/02/20240217-1_j.html
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1758711301247807724QuoteThree objects cataloged from the H3 launch in a 666 x 680 km x 98.1 deg sun-sync orbit with 0915 local time descending node. Presumably CE-SAT, TIRSAT and VEP-4/Stage 2. A bit surprised the latter was cataloged since it is already deorbited.
Quote from: catdlr on 02/17/2024 04:10 amhttps://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1758711301247807724QuoteThree objects cataloged from the H3 launch in a 666 x 680 km x 98.1 deg sun-sync orbit with 0915 local time descending node. Presumably CE-SAT, TIRSAT and VEP-4/Stage 2. A bit surprised the latter was cataloged since it is already deorbited.There are still 3 objects, whose orbit data are updated regularly.https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2024-032
Quote from: GWR64 on 02/17/2024 06:39 pmQuote from: catdlr on 02/17/2024 04:10 amhttps://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1758711301247807724QuoteThree objects cataloged from the H3 launch in a 666 x 680 km x 98.1 deg sun-sync orbit with 0915 local time descending node. Presumably CE-SAT, TIRSAT and VEP-4/Stage 2. A bit surprised the latter was cataloged since it is already deorbited.There are still 3 objects, whose orbit data are updated regularly.https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2024-032Yes, so I guessed wrong. Must be a debris object of some kind.
Quote from: jcm on 02/18/2024 02:12 amQuote from: GWR64 on 02/17/2024 06:39 pmQuote from: catdlr on 02/17/2024 04:10 amhttps://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1758711301247807724QuoteThree objects cataloged from the H3 launch in a 666 x 680 km x 98.1 deg sun-sync orbit with 0915 local time descending node. Presumably CE-SAT, TIRSAT and VEP-4/Stage 2. A bit surprised the latter was cataloged since it is already deorbited.There are still 3 objects, whose orbit data are updated regularly.https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2024-032Yes, so I guessed wrong. Must be a debris object of some kind.Since CE-SAT and TIRSAT were released before the circularization burn, shouldn't they be on a more eccentric orbit?
NHK WORLD-JAPANThe H3 arocket: Flight after Failure - Documentary 360
