And if Fuji or anyone else is around - I assume this IGS launch is a direct follow on from the Optical 4 mission? (Such as this is the next IGS bird in line)?
Quote from: Chris Bergin on 12/11/2011 11:58 pmAnd if Fuji or anyone else is around - I assume this IGS launch is a direct follow on from the Optical 4 mission? (Such as this is the next IGS bird in line)?Not quite: the payload is the 4th radar satellite to reach the launch pad (one of which failed to reach orbit, in 2003). The last one failed more than a year ago, leaving the Japanese without the capability for all-weather surveillance.
Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 12/12/2011 12:03 amQuote from: Chris Bergin on 12/11/2011 11:58 pmAnd if Fuji or anyone else is around - I assume this IGS launch is a direct follow on from the Optical 4 mission? (Such as this is the next IGS bird in line)?Not quite: the payload is the 4th radar satellite to reach the launch pad (one of which failed to reach orbit, in 2003). The last one failed more than a year ago, leaving the Japanese without the capability for all-weather surveillance. Ah yes, the one which will come back down to Earth in 2012/13. So this returns the radar capability?
Looks like they are talking about the 'lightning within x km of launch site' constraint, judging from the graphic.
Quote from: jcm on 12/12/2011 12:13 amLooks like they are talking about the 'lightning within x km of launch site' constraint, judging from the graphic. Actually not quite, it's the anvil clouds rule.
Looks like some serious wind shere there, based on the plume.
Quote from: Chris Bergin on 12/12/2011 12:23 amLooks like some serious wind shere there, based on the plume.Quite, for a few seconds there it looked like it was wobbling back and forth horribly and then keeled over - but after a while it reappeared. Phew!Really amazing to see diffirent parts of the trail going off in diffirent directions so quick. Am I correct in assuming that we saw the launch from west of the pad, so that we looked onto the back of the vehicle as it flew onwards?
Quote from: Silmfeanor on 12/12/2011 12:28 amQuote from: Chris Bergin on 12/12/2011 12:23 amLooks like some serious wind shere there, based on the plume.Quite, for a few seconds there it looked like it was wobbling back and forth horribly and then keeled over - but after a while it reappeared. Phew!Really amazing to see diffirent parts of the trail going off in diffirent directions so quick. Am I correct in assuming that we saw the launch from west of the pad, so that we looked onto the back of the vehicle as it flew onwards?More like north-west: the rocket is going almost directly south (going for SSO)
It looks like the launch pad is right next to the assembly building. Is that right, or is it just an illusion because of the camera angle?I'm glad to hear that the flight seems to be going well.
Hi guys !I've got a question concerning H-2 launchers..Iwas going through the H2 maiden flight mission status (here) and I found the following statement :0658 GMT (2:58 a.m. EDT)T-minus 80 seconds. The sparklers have been fired on the base of the launch pad to burn off any residual hydrogen. Flares will be ignited beneath the main engine to burn away excess hydrogen in that area at T-minus 12 seconds. Also, the pad's water supression system has been activated.Do you know if that was normal ?Why should they desactivate the water deluge before the flight as all other launchers that have water deluge do trigger it ON before.. (as far as I know) Any idea ?Did they do it on the following launches ?Cheers !
Yay! My ustream.tv has frozen up, so appreciate the updates.Interesting that the official JAXA press releases are identifying this as 情報収集衛星レーダ３号"jouhoushuushuu eisei re^da 3 gouki" (IGS Radar-3) - my recollection is that the previous launches didn't officially identify the satellites as Radar or Optical, that just came from rumours.
