Author Topic: FAILURE : Epsilon F6 with RAISE-3 + 7 satellites - 12 October 2022 (00:50 UTC) (Read 13351 times)

Galactic Penguin SST · « **on:** 08/08/2022 03:32 am »

Launch time is 00:47 - 00:58 UTC, 7 October 2022.

The payload are RAISE-3 and 5 other microsatellites chosen by JAXA (MAGNARO, MITSUBA, KOSEN-2, WASEDA-SAT-ZERO, FSI-SAT), plus QPS-SAR-3 and 4 flying on a commercial contract.

Fmedici · « **Reply #1 on:** 08/08/2022 09:56 am »

Mission animation:

Rondaz · « **Reply #2 on:** 08/08/2022 12:31 pm »

Japan's 1st orbital launch in 2022 is targeted at 00:47 UTC on Oct.07. There are in total 8 satellites on this 6th launch of Epsilon rocket: RAISE-3 (RApid Innovative payload demonstration SatellitE-3) 5 cube sats (MAGNARO, MITSUBA, KOSEN-2, WASEDA-SAT-ZERO, FSI-SAT)

@JAXA_jp · 9h [Press Release] Launch of Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Unit 3, QPS -SAR-3 and QPS -SAR-4 by Epsilon Launch Vehicle No. 6

https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1556565703766839296

Rondaz · « **Reply #3 on:** 09/01/2022 10:01 am »

This time, we will introduce the preparation status of the Epsilon Rocket No. 6, which is scheduled to be launched on October 7.

Preparations are steadily progressing toward the launch of the rocket #Epsilon Rocket No. 6..

https://twitter.com/JAXA_jp/status/1565248288198037505

russianhalo117 · « **Reply #4 on:** 09/30/2022 01:38 am »

NVS F6 Livestream series:
Pre-launch briefing:

Launcher rotated to launch position:

Launch:

Post-launch briefing:

Liss · « **Reply #5 on:** 10/03/2022 06:48 am »

P3959/22 NOTAMN
Q) RJJJ/QWMLW/IV/BO/W/000/999/3310N14118E999
A) RJJJ B) 2210020911 C) 2210070126 EST
E) REF AIP SUP 113/22 ITEM 1,2,3

ROCKET EPSILON-6 WILL BE LAUNCHED
LAUNCHING DATE AND TIME : BTN 0047 AND 0058 ON 07 OCT 2022
F) SFC G) UNL
CREATED: 02 Oct 2022 09:11:00
SOURCE: RJAAYNYX

Rondaz · « **Reply #6 on:** 10/04/2022 09:50 am »

[Opening of the satellite] RAISE-3 was opened to the press in the clean room of the Uchinoura Space Center. #Innovation Unit 3 #JAXA..

https://twitter.com/KAKUSHIN_JAXA/status/1577130133806202880

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #7 on:** 10/05/2022 04:30 am »

Launch delayed due to an unspecified problem with the rocket; new launch date TBD.

https://www.jaxa.jp/press/2022/10/20221005-1_j.html

Edit: From what I read it seems the problem wasn’t with the rocket itself, but with unplanned movements of certain navigation satellites (GPS?) that would cause a coverage gap over flight path up to Oct. 10th at least; perhaps the rocket use GNSS signals for flight controls? Translations are welcome.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #8 on:** 10/09/2022 06:34 am »

https://twitter.com/JAXA_jp/status/1578979265496113152

Launch rescheduled to October 12, 00:50:43 - 00:55:11 UTC.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #9 on:** 10/09/2022 07:36 am »

Rondaz · « **Reply #10 on:** 10/09/2022 10:31 am »

Japan's first orbital launch this year is now targeted on OCT.12 at ~00:47 UTC. Live stream will start ~30 mins before liftoff, at 00:15UTC on Youtube:

https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1579011940097019904

input~2 · « **Reply #11 on:** 10/11/2022 07:42 am »

P4080/22 - REF AIP SUP 113/22 ITEM 1,2,3
ROCKET EPSILON-6 WILL BE LAUNCHED
LAUNCHING DATE AND TIME : 0050 ON 12 OCT 2022. SFC - UNL, 10 OCT 05:19 2022
UNTIL 12 OCT 01:18 2022 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 10 OCT 05:20 2022

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #12 on:** 10/11/2022 11:11 pm »

NVS streams. http://blog.nvs-live.com/

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #13 on:** 10/11/2022 11:14 pm »

Current view of the vehicle.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #14 on:** 10/11/2022 11:32 pm »

X-1 hour 20 minutes. The sprinklers are on, wetting the surrounding foliage to prevent it catching fire on lift-off.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #15 on:** 10/11/2022 11:43 pm »

Not sure what's happening, but the clock disappeared, followed by the stream ending early.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #16 on:** 10/11/2022 11:46 pm »

OK, the second stream has started.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #17 on:** 10/11/2022 11:51 pm »

X-1 hour. Launch site location.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #18 on:** 10/11/2022 11:57 pm »

X-55 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #19 on:** 10/11/2022 11:59 pm »

Payloads.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #20 on:** 10/12/2022 12:04 am »

More payloads.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #21 on:** 10/12/2022 12:08 am »

Even more payloads.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #22 on:** 10/12/2022 12:11 am »

QPS-SAR and MAGNARO.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #23 on:** 10/12/2022 12:14 am »

MITSUBA, KOSEN 2, and WASEDA-SAT-ZERO.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #24 on:** 10/12/2022 12:17 am »

FSI-SAT, other missions.

JAXA webcast has begun.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #25 on:** 10/12/2022 12:28 am »

Mission events.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #26 on:** 10/12/2022 12:29 am »

Separation events.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #27 on:** 10/12/2022 12:31 am »

X-20 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #28 on:** 10/12/2022 12:36 am »

X-15 minutes. Payload sequence start.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #29 on:** 10/12/2022 12:41 am »

X-10 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #30 on:** 10/12/2022 12:45 am »

X-5 minutes. Range safety and software is go.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #31 on:** 10/12/2022 12:47 am »

X-4 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #32 on:** 10/12/2022 12:48 am »

X-3 minutes. Weather is go.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #33 on:** 10/12/2022 12:49 am »

X-2 minutes. All systems are go for launch.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #34 on:** 10/12/2022 12:50 am »

X-1 minute. On internal power.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #35 on:** 10/12/2022 12:51 am »

Liftoff!

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #36 on:** 10/12/2022 12:52 am »

X+1 minute.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #37 on:** 10/12/2022 12:52 am »

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1579998238622748672

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #38 on:** 10/12/2022 12:53 am »

X+2 minutes. First stage burnout.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #39 on:** 10/12/2022 12:54 am »

Fairing separation.

First stage separation.

X+3 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #40 on:** 10/12/2022 12:55 am »

X+4 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #41 on:** 10/12/2022 12:56 am »

X+5 minutes. Second stage burnout.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #42 on:** 10/12/2022 12:57 am »

X+6 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #43 on:** 10/12/2022 12:58 am »

X+7 minutes. Third stage ~~has~~ should have ignited.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #44 on:** 10/12/2022 12:59 am »

X+8 minutes. Burnout should have occurred.

Jrcraft · « **Reply #45 on:** 10/12/2022 12:59 am »

Quote from: Steven Pietrobon on 10/12/2022 12:58 am

X+7 minutes. Third stage has ignited.

Has it? Telemetry doesn't match that. Unless I'm reading that wrong.

Rocketdog2116 · « **Reply #46 on:** 10/12/2022 01:00 am »

Uhhhh. 3rd stage?

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #47 on:** 10/12/2022 01:00 am »

X+9 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #48 on:** 10/12/2022 01:01 am »

X+10 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #49 on:** 10/12/2022 01:03 am »

JAXA is ending their coverage.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #50 on:** 10/12/2022 01:06 am »

This was the last frame of telemetry at X+9 minutes 11 seconds. Velocity is 4.84 klm/s, which is not enough to be in orbit. Third stage burnout should have been at X+8 minutes and 2 seconds, with the first post boost ignition at X+16 minutes and 33 seconds.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #51 on:** 10/12/2022 01:06 am »

End of JAXA coverage.

Jrcraft · « **Reply #52 on:** 10/12/2022 01:09 am »

Quote from: Steven Pietrobon on 10/12/2022 01:06 am

This was the last frame of telemetry at T+9 minutes 11 seconds. Velocity is 4.84 klm/s, which is not enough to be in orbit.

And that altitude was getting pretty low pretty fast. AKA the vehicle was gaining speed as it fell back to Earth. Looking at the previous Epsilon launch, the altitude and velocity are a really close match just after S2 burnout. But they diverge when S3 ignites (on the previous flight). We still had telemetry afterwards, so would indicate either ignition failure, or that ignition was inhibited by the onboard computer (rather than an energetic failure). Could be that the flight computer saw something it didn't like and aborted the ignition of that stage (tumbling)?

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #53 on:** 10/12/2022 01:09 am »

NVS is saying "Announcement with command destroy signal transmission."

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #54 on:** 10/12/2022 01:15 am »

Some launch images.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #55 on:** 10/12/2022 01:25 am »

Third stage ignition should have occurred at T+6 minutes 34 seconds, but the telemetry shows only a small increase in velocity and decreasing altitude as the vehicle falls back to Earth.

Rondaz · « **Reply #56 on:** 10/12/2022 02:16 am »

LAUNCH of JAXA's Epsilon No. 6 from Uchinoura at 0050:43 UTC Oct 12 carrying RAISE-3, QPS-3, QPS-4 and five cubesats..

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1579998127259619329

ZachS09 · « **Reply #57 on:** 10/12/2022 02:43 am »

This is the first overall failure of Epsilon after five consecutive successes.

Hopefully, they’ll find the issue (most likely within the third stage) and correct it before the next flight.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #58 on:** 10/12/2022 05:09 am »

Looks like the vehicle was in the wrong attitude for stage 2/3 separation, which was scheduled for X+6 minutes and 30 seconds. The destruct command was sent at X+6 minutes and 28 seconds, two seconds before the separation.

https://www.jaxa.jp/press/2022/10/20221012-2_j.html

Establishment of a Response Headquarters Following the Failure of the Launch of Epsilon Rocket No. 6

October 12, Reiwa, 2022

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the Epsilon rocket No. 6 equipped with Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration No. 3, QPS-SAR-3, and QPS-SAR-4 from the Uchinoura Space Observatory at 09:50:43 (Japan standard time) on October 12, 2022, but at the time of judging whether or not to separate the 2/3 stage, it deviated from the target attitude, Judging that it could not be put into orbit around the Earth, it sent a command and destruction signal to the rocket at 9:57:11, and the launch failed.
We sincerely apologize for not being able to meet the expectations of the local community and everyone else involved, as well as those involved in the satellites on board.

Currently, we have established a task force headed by President Yamakawa and have begun investigating the cause.
The status of the investigation will be announced at any time.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #59 on:** 10/12/2022 05:20 am »

From what I have seen about the post-launch press conference by Japanese sources, this more or less sums up what JAXA have reported so far:

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1580063544288346112

(the part about rocket not in correct attitude for 2nd/3rd stage separation is apparently shown on telemetry; whether the telemetry was reflecting true conditions needs to be investigated)

Rondaz · « **Reply #60 on:** 10/12/2022 10:36 am »

[Aerial video] Epsilon 6 launch failure, destruction order 10 minutes later, JAXA investigates
https://asahi.com/articles/ASQBD3H82QBCULBH001.html

JAXA has announced that it has abandoned the plan. About 10 minutes after launch, he sent an order to destroy the rocket. This is the first rocket launch failure since 2003's H2A No. 6.

https://twitter.com/asahicom/status/1580038780257710082

Rondaz · « **Reply #61 on:** 10/12/2022 10:37 am »

The part about whether the rocket was really in an incorrect attitude is not confirmed BTW, JAXA says they are looking at the telemetry.

(Which of course leads to another plausible scenario where the rocket was in correct attitude but the IMU/flight computer thought it wasn’t)

https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1580058385042767872

Rondaz · « **Reply #62 on:** 10/12/2022 10:38 am »

Epsilon rocket No. 6 entering the clouds. (From 2022/10/12 Miyahara news desk)

https://twitter.com/koumeiShibata/status/1580046690412687361

Rondaz · « **Reply #63 on:** 10/12/2022 10:39 am »

Everyone who supported the launch of Epsilon Rocket No. 6. I failed. very sorry. I can't talk about the details at the moment, but after the two-stage burn, the third stage failed to ignite, and the altitude began to fall despite the lack of control. Destruction is a tough decision, but losing 8 precious satellites is really frustrating and painful. For a while, I will walk with needle mats.

https://twitter.com/Ishide_Taka/status/1580042691542323200

Rondaz · « **Reply #64 on:** 10/12/2022 10:40 am »

Epsilon Rocket No. 6. It looks normal at this stage. Or is there something (9:50:43 on October 12, 2022 (JST))

https://twitter.com/koumeiShibata/status/1580039809254293505

Rondaz · « **Reply #65 on:** 10/12/2022 10:41 am »

https://twitter.com/hibikiw/status/1580004351170740225

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #66 on:** 10/13/2022 05:29 am »

Quote from: Rondaz on 10/12/2022 10:36 am

[Aerial video] Epsilon 6 launch failure, destruction order 10 minutes later, JAXA investigates

Quote from: Rondaz on 10/12/2022 10:37 am

The part about whether the rocket was really in an incorrect attitude is not confirmed BTW, JAXA says they are looking at the telemetry.

The above contradicts the information posted on the JAXA website.

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=56911.msg2418375#msg2418375

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #67 on:** 10/14/2022 05:37 am »

Archived webcast:

eeergo · « **Reply #68 on:** 10/18/2022 09:27 am »

Failure mode identified: the second stage's RCS had an attitude control problem. From the two RCS systems in the 2nd stage, the pressure on the +Y manifold did not reach appropriate pressures to function as RCS, as seen in the first attached figure.

As context, the 2nd stage's attitude control is actuated by the TVC (directing the thrust from the main motor on the stage) and RCS (on the 2nd stage, it's a set of eight pressure-fed hypergolic thrusters activated by pyrovalves: each pod is located on the Y axis, at symmetric + and - locations).

In particular, while the 2nd stage is firing, the TVC is responsible for the pitch and yaw, while the RCS is responsible for the roll. Conversely, the RCS is responsible for the three axes after 2nd stage burnout. It should not be confused with the spin motors, which are small spin-up solid motors used to provide spin stabilization to the LV for 2-3 separation during coasting.

During this flight, the error in attitude immediately went out of bounds on yaw after burnout, reaching up to 21º after a minute (nominal is up to 0.91º, 3 sigma). After that, the +Y RCS actually went back to working nominally and stabilized that 21º error, but didn't bring the LV back to the nominal orientation.

Root cause narrowed down to "clogging of the RCS +Y line" or "Pyrovalve malfunction", along with "PSDB [redundant computer responsible for the operation of that fluid leg] failure". Crucially, the pyrovalve operation was NOT monitored as telemetry, so it's not possible to determine whether it actually fired or not.

Presentation from the Ministry of Education and Science:

https://www.mext.go.jp/kaigisiryo/content/221018-mxt_uchukai01-000025514_1.pdf (translated version attached).

Rondaz · « **Reply #69 on:** 10/18/2022 11:05 am »

Both RCS propellant feed lines should pressurize at T+~2:32, post 1st stage separation. The -Y side did work nominally with the line's pressure up to tank pressure levels at receiving channel A's signals, but the +Y never did even w/ both signals sent.

As an event that occurred this time, it is known that the downstream piping pressure on the RCS + Y side, which is the red line in the graph, did not rise. The blue line in the graph is the tank pressure, and you can see that hydrazine is pressurized to about 1.9 MPa with nitrogen gas. The -Y side of the left graph shows normal operation, and the +Y side on the right shows an abnormal pressure history.

https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1582320903076990977

Rondaz · « **Reply #70 on:** 10/18/2022 11:07 am »

The spin-motor fired as planned at T+6:10 prior to planned 3rd stage separation, which stabilised the stack at an attitude 21 degrees off the planned direction.

Due to the RCS + Y (pitch) anomaly, the attitude of the aircraft deviated from the target attitude as shown in the graph, and finally an error of 21° with respect to the target angle occurred. After that, the spin motor started burning as planned, and it seems that the spin stabilized with a 21° deviation.

https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1582288063522549761

Rondaz · « **Reply #71 on:** 10/18/2022 02:49 pm »

JAXA is currently investigating 3 possible failure causes:

* Electric/Wiring failure from the Power and Sequence Distribution Boxes to the pyro-valve
* Pyro-valve failed to fire or open properly
* Pyro-valve opened properly but the propellant feed line was blocked

https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1582350491538710529

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #72 on:** 11/02/2022 09:10 am »

Update as of October 28: The “Electric/Wiring failure from the Power and Sequence Distribution Boxes to the pyro-valve” scenario has been eliminated, investigations are focusing on the other 2 possible reasons.