LIVE: H-IIB launch with HTV-2 - Jan. 22, 2011

[yoichi]

http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/htv/mission/htv-2/news/htv2_pm1.html

KOUNOTORI2 Completes the First Phase Maneuver (PM1)

Last Updated: January 22, 2011
The KOUNOTORI2 completed the first Phase Maneuver (PM1) at 10:13 p.m., January 22. Next HTV2 mission status update will be posted on Monday morning, January 24, 2011.

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)

[Danderman]

Great launch! I have ISS visible for the next 6 days. Hope to see ISS and HTV-2 closing the gap on one those mornings.

ISS will be visible at 5 in the morning over the next few days.

 

[Art LeBrun]

Great launch! I have ISS visible for the next 6 days. Hope to see ISS and HTV-2 closing the gap on one those mornings.

ISS will be visible at 5 in the morning over the next few days.

 

I have my printout by the alarm clock and no fog/clouds expected.

[robertross]

Great launch. Congrats JAXA!

And thanks for the coverage guys.

(loved the scream of the motors/engines)

[ugordan]

(loved the scream of the motors/engines)

It wasn't coming from the vehicle.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=12878.msg476252#msg476252

[stockman]

nice launch..

but... how annoying is that it turns out they *have* a rocket cam, but only bother to show it for five seconds when the SRBs separate? with three minutes of a tiny white dot in a big blue sky?

sigh.

I will ask the obvious question - does anyone know if they will post a complete rocket-cam view for the launch?? based on the few seconds they showed it seems like the entire flight would be great from that angle... any chance? 

[Ford Mustang]

nice launch..

but... how annoying is that it turns out they *have* a rocket cam, but only bother to show it for five seconds when the SRBs separate? with three minutes of a tiny white dot in a big blue sky?

sigh.

I will ask the obvious question - does anyone know if they will post a complete rocket-cam view for the launch?? based on the few seconds they showed it seems like the entire flight would be great from that angle... any chance? 

As I believe ArianeSpace does with their rockets, they may have sent one up on a previous mission and are re-using that footage with the current mission.  I've seen some Ariane launches at night with daylight booster separations and payload fairing jettisons.

This *could* be the case, not 100% sure as I'd believe they would show on-board during launch if that was the case.

[eeergo]

As I believe ArianeSpace does with their rockets, they may have sent one up on a previous mission and are re-using that footage with the current mission.  I've seen some Ariane launches at night with daylight booster separations and payload fairing jettisons.

This *could* be the case, not 100% sure as I'd believe they would show on-board during launch if that was the case.

Can't be because the only other H2-B launch was with HTV-1 and it was a night-time launch. The footage shows daylight and four SRB-A separating, so it must have been from this launch. Plus, the Japanese usually include monitoring cameras in all their launches, as far as I've seen in the last few years. I wouldn't expect any new video release though.

[Space Pete]

According to the official Dextre SPDM Twitter account:

• EP extraction from the ULC, handoff to the JEM RMS and installation onto
  the JEF will be on Feb. 1st.

• FHRC & CTC-4 removal from the EP and installation onto the SPDM will
  occur from Feb. 2nd - 4th.

[rdale]

I will ask the obvious question - does anyone know if they will post a complete rocket-cam view for the launch?

Based on the history of JAXA releasing rocket cam video, the answer to your question is also obvious

No, nobody knows.

[yg1968]

HTV-2 Kounotori Launch Full Coverage - January 22
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6399

Thanks for the full launch video. I always like seing the entire webcast.

[vt_hokie]

Congrats to JAXA and all involved on a successful launch.  Now, let's hope for a successful ATV launch and some awesome STS-133 ISS fly-around images with both HTV and ATV!

[Danderman]

I stuck my head out this morning to see the ISS flyover, but no sign of HTV following. Maybe its preceding ISS.

[Space Pete]

I stuck my head out this morning to see the ISS flyover, but no sign of HTV following. Maybe its preceding ISS.

It won't be immediately trailing ISS. When Progresses launch, they can be preceeding/following ISS by as much as 45 minutes.

[ksc_houston]

Any TLE ? 'cause I can't find them both on celestrak or heavens-above websites.

[astropl]

Any TLE ? 'cause I can't find them both on celestrak or heavens-above websites.

2011-003A               
1 37351U 11003A   11022.71321509 -.00000768  00000-0  00000+0 0    46
2 37351  51.6507 187.1439 0010508 273.8809  84.3927 15.84526110    83

[Space Pete]

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 23/01/2011.

HTV-2 Flight Day 1 Summary:
HTV-2 lifted off on time yesterday (22/01) at 5:37:57 AM GMT. Ascent and the upper stage burn were nominal. Separation from the HII-B upper stage occurred at 5:53:11 AM. The HTV successfully performed three burns, per the plan:
• PM-1 (Phase Manoeuvre-1) began 22/01 at 1:08:09 PM GMT and had
  a dV of 34.1 m/s (performed using Main Engines).
• M-1 began 22/01 at 2:41:02 PM GMT and had a dV of 2.9 m/s
  (performed using Main Engines).
• PM-1' began 22/01 at 3:26:05 PM GMT and had a dV of 6.1 m/s
  (performed using Main Engines).
The burns raised the HTV semi-major axis by approximately 74 km and set up the initial phasing for the rendezvous. HTV is now in a 315 x 320 km orbit. As of 22/01 at 4:00 PM GMT, HTV was 20,600 km ahead of and 30 to 35 km below ISS, and phasing away at 338 km/rev. The post-burn trajectory has been screened for debris and is currently clear of conjunctions. RCS and Main Engines thruster testing and leak checks were performed on both strings; all systems are nominal. GPS navigation was checked out and is performing nominally.

[jcm]

Any TLE ? 'cause I can't find them both on celestrak or heavens-above websites.

2011-003A               
1 37351U 11003A   11022.71321509 -.00000768  00000-0  00000+0 0    46
2 37351  51.6507 187.1439 0010508 273.8809  84.3927 15.84526110    83

No catalog for the second stage so presumably it was deorbited in its second burn.  [Edit: as confirmed by a JAXA press release]

[Space Pete]

KOUNOTORI2 Continues Smooth Flight (January 24, 2011).

Following the completion of the first phase maneuver (PM1) at 10:13 p.m., January 22, KOUNOTORI2 has reached the planned orbit to perform initial height adjustment maneuvers at 0:36 a.m., January 23. KOUNOTORI2 has been continuing a smooth flight. The next HTV2 mission status update will be posted on Tuesday afternoon, January 25, 2011.

http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/htv/mission/htv-2/news

[rdale]

Good vis report from SatObs this morning, said it even flared a bit.