LIVE: H-2A (F-20) - IGS (Radar-3) - December 12, 2011

[Fuji]

This vehicle configuration is 202 with 4S fairling.

[Fuji]

Separation confirmed !

[Fuji]

Launch photo by Koumei Shibata.
http://twitpic.com/7s4y4m

[rickl]

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.

[Fuji]

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.

You can see the attached photo. VAB is right big building.
http://jda.jaxa.jp/result.php?lang=j&id=b93e46775d2d80a5a907d0af776cbe42

[rickl]

OK, thanks.  That makes more sense.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

[input~2]

JAXA launch success announcement (in Japanese)
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2011/12/20111212_h2af20_j.html

[input~2]

More launch pictures from Kyodo News
http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/12/131011.html

[Liryc]

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 !

[input~2]

USSTRATCOM has now catalogued

IGS-7A as 37954/2011-075A (no orbital data)

H-2A 2nd stage as 37955/2011-075B in 473 x 513 km x 97.43° (period: 94.48 minutes)

[jcm]

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 !

I don't understand your question - the quote says that there are *activating* the water deluge  (by "water suppression system" they actually mean  "water-using sound-suppression system of course!)

[Liryc]

must have had a bug in my head at the time i read that.....
of course, it's being activated so forget my question....

any idea what that system looks like on H-IIA ?
Seems that not all launchers have such system and everybody have their own way to do so.. (not much videos or photos on that )

[input~2]

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.

Optical-4 was already identified as such
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2011/09/20110923_h2af19_j.html

[jcm]

RIght, I'd forgotten that- thanks