Launch News JAXA's MICHIBIKI atop H-2A on Sept. 11, 2010

[orb]

The Japanese H-2A rocket will launch the Michibiki navigation satellite. Also called the Quasi-Zenith Satellite, Michibiki will enhance GPS navigation signals in Japanese urban areas and mountainous terrain. The H-2A rocket will fly in the 202 configuration with two large solid rocket boosters and no smaller motors.

Launch window:|11:17-12:16 UTC / 7:17-8:16 a.m. EDT / 20:17-21:16 JST

Launch site:|Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

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[highlight]L[eventtimer]2010-9-11 11:17;%c%%ddd%/%hh%:%mm%:%ss%[/eventtimer][/highlight]​

There is O-F's calendar event created for this launch, for which you can request a reminder, that will be sent via e-mail on set time before the launch.

Mission Logo​

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Mascot Character - "MICHIBIKI-San"​

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Payload:

The Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) is a regional space-based positioning system that uses a constellation of satellites placed in multiple orbital planes. The satellites have the same orbital period as a traditional equatorial geostationary orbit, however, they have a large orbital inclination and therefore move with respect to the Earth. The QZS orbits are also elliptical and are sometimes known as “highly-inclined elliptical orbits” or HEO. The system covers regions in East Asia and Oceania centering on Japan and is designed to enable users in the coverage area to receive QZS signals from a high elevation angle at all times.

The nickname “MICHIBIKI,” meaning "guiding" or "showing the way,” was selected as a nickname for the first Quasi-Zenith Satellite (QZS-1) through a campaign conducted between October 16 (Fri.) and December 16 (Wed.), 2009, where 328 people out of 11,111 participants proposed “MICHIBIKI” as a nickname. Many godparents of "MICHIBIKI" explained their selection reason as the QZS-1 is to show correct locations using its highly accurate positioning information, and to guide toward a futuristic society by establishing the next generation satellite positioning technology in Japan. The name was chosen as it precisely illustrates the QZS mission.

{colsp=2}Characteristics

Shape:​

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• 2 box shape with wing-type solar array paddles
• 2.9m in depth x 3.1m in width x 6.2m in height
• Length between the tips of the paddles: 25.3 m

Mass:​

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• Approx. 4000kg

Power:​

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• About 5 kW

Lifetime:​

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• Over 10 years

Orbit:​

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• Quasi-Zenith Orbit

Altitude:​

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• Apogee: approx. 32,000 km,
• Perigee: approx. 40,000 km

Inclination:​

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• Approx. 40 degrees (Fluctuating between 39 and 47 degrees; 41 degrees in the initial phase.)

Period:​

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• 23 hours 56 minutes

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QZSS constellation​

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Trajectory footprint​

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Tracking stations​

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Launch Vehicle:

The H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 18 is a "H2A202" model with two solid rocket boosters (SRBs). The fairing design is 4S (4 meters in diameter.) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. is in charge of the launch service of the H-IIA.

The mission of the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 18 is to inject its main payload, the Quasi-Zenith Satellite-1 "MICHIBIKI", into its scheduled orbit.​

Live coverage of the launch:

• You can watch the webcast of the launch of H-2A F18 carring MICHIBIKI live here.
  Live Broadcast of the launch is scheduled to start on Sept. 11, Saturday at 6:45 a.m. EDT / 10:45 UTC / 7:45 p.m. JST - i.e. it [eventtimer]2010-9-11 10:45?will start in|started;%c% %h%:%mm%[/eventtimer] hours[eventtimer]2010-9-11 10:45?.| ago.;%c%[/eventtimer]
• Countdown Report - Final countdown status of H-IIA Flight F18 carrying MICHIBIKI will be reported there.

Links:

• MICHIBIKI Special Site.
• What is Quasi-Zenith Orbit?
• Overview of the First Quasi-Zenith Satellite "MICHIBIKI".
• Interview with Koji Terada, Establishment of a Seamless Positioning System.
• Positioning to know your location and time.
• Let's ask MICHIBIKI-san! Quasi-Zenith Satellite (QZS) 'MICHIBIKI' FAQ.
• Quasi-Zenith Satellite-1 "MICHIBIKI" Photo Gallery.
• Quasi-Zenith Satellite-1 "MICHIBIKI" Video Gallery.
• MICHIBIKI Wallpapers & Paper crafts.
• MICHIBIKI Overview Brochure (PDF).
• MICHIBIKI Press Kit (PDF).
• Interface Specifications for QZSS (IS-QZSS Ver.1.1) (PDF).
• Interface Specifications for QZSS (IS-QZSS Ver.1.2 Draft) with Revision Mark (PDF).

JAXA Press Releases:

• 2010-01-20: "MICHIBIKI" Chosen as Nickname of the first Quasi-Zenith Satellite.
• 2010-06-09: Launch (date announcement) of the First Quasi-Zenith Satellite 'MICHIBIKI' by the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 18.
• 2010-06-23: Launch Postponement of the First Quasi-Zenith Satellite 'MICHIBIKI' by H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 18.
• 2010-08-04: New Launch Day of the First Quasi-Zenith Satellite 'MICHIBIKI' by H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 18.

Launch Sequence:

{colsp=2} Event | Time [mm:ss] | Altitude [km] | Inertial speed [km/s]

1.​

|Liftoff|

0:00​

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0​

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0.4​

2.​

|Solid rocket booster burnout*|

1:37​

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45​

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1.4​

3.​

|Solid rocket booster jettison**|

1:47​

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54​

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1.5​

4.​

|Payload fairing jettison|

4:10​

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150​

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2.6​

5.​

|1st stage engine (main engine) cutoff (MECO)|

6:36​

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228​

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5.2​

6.​

|1st and 2nd stages separation|

6:44​

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223​

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5.2​

7.​

|2nd stage 1st ignition (SEIG1)|

6:50​

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236​

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5.2​

8.​

|2nd stage engine 1st cutoff (SECO1)|

12:32​

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288​

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7.7​

9.​

|2nd stage 2nd ignition (SEIG2)|

24:34​

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256​

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7.7​

10.​

|2nd stage engine 2nd cutoff (SECO2)|

27:35​

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254​

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10.2​

11.​

|MICHIBIKI separation|

28:26​

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275​

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10.2​

*) When the maximum combustion pressure reaches 2%
**) Thrust strut cutoff​

The current view on Tanegashima Space Center (webcam). *

* This picture is automatically updated at intervals.
You need to reload the page to see the latest image.​

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

The "Thanks" button just doesn't do that post justice - some awesome info there, orb!

 

[Izack]

The "Thanks" button just doesn't do that post justice - some awesome info there, orb!

Well, you can also give the thread a good rating.

Seconded. That was excellently composed post; it had everything I could possibly have wanted to know. :thumbup:

The updating image is done by the JAXA website itself, I presume?

 

[orb]

The updating image is done by the JAXA website itself, I presume?

Yes, it's being updated by JAXA website. The source page for the image is here.

---------- Post added 11th Sep 2010 at 00:16 ---------- Previous post was 10th Sep 2010 at 23:23 ----------

H-IIA F18 carrying MICHIBIKI atop the second stage leaves for the launch pad. The launch vehicle, mounted on a mobile launcher can be seen being moved on the webcam picture at the moment.

---------- Post added at 00:30 ---------- Previous post was at 00:16 ----------

H-IIA F18 arrived at the launch pad. Launch vehicle and pad facility connection operation has started.

---------- Post added at 01:38 ---------- Previous post was at 00:30 ----------

MICHIBIKI being encapsulated:

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H-IIA F18 arrives at the launch pad:

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Launch vehicle and pad facility connection operation starts:

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[Pyromaniac605]

Waitng till I can click that link.
It'll be my first live launch.

Darren

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Waitng till I can click that link.
It'll be my first live launch.

Darren

You never forget your first one!

As a bit of trivia, a H-2 rocket launched on this exact date last year (H-2B w/ HTV-1).

 

[Pyromaniac605]

You never forget your first one!

As a bit of trivia, a H-2 rocket launched on this exact date last year (H-2B w/ HTV-1).

Cool what did it launch? My next will probably be the next STS mission Discovery's last IIRC.

Darren

 

[IronRain]

Cool what did it launch?

Darren

I guess the HTV-1

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: Japan readies navigation satellite for launch:

An H-2A rocket is fueled on the launch pad for blastoff Saturday with a spacecraft to improve satellite navigation services in Japan's cities and rural mountains.

The 174-foot-tall rocket is scheduled to lift off at 1117 GMT (7:17 a.m. EDT) Saturday from Launch Pad No. 1 at the Yoshinobu complex on Tanegashima Island, the site of Japan's primary spaceport off the southern coast of the main islands.

The launch will occur at 8:17 p.m. Japanese time. The launch window extends for 59 minutes.

It will take 28 minutes, 26 seconds for the H-2A rocket to deliver the Michibiki satellite to orbit.

Panoramic view with H-2A F18 on the pad:

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Waiting on the pad with LOX & LH2 fully loaded:

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And a couple of earlier photos, for which I couldn't find higher resolution images, but here they are anyway:

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August 30, 2010: Encapsulation (source)​

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September 1, 2010: Payload stacking (source)​

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Arrive at VAB​

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Being lifted for stacking​

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Attaching to H-2A​

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[Pyromaniac605]

I guess the HTV-1

YouTube - HTV-1: Berthing

:facepalm: didn't notice the w.

Darren

Edit: Thanks for the pics orb, 65 minutes is a long braodcast when should the actual launch occur?

 

[orb]

Thanks for the pics orb, 65 minutes is a long braodcast when should the actual launch occur?

There's countdown timer at opening post. The clock may be behind by 1-2 minutes though (I compared the time with my computer's clock, that was just synchronized with NTP server), but the time is set for the targeted liftoff. You can check it if you hover the cursor over the timer, or you can check your local time for liftoff in the calendar event, for which I also posted link in the OP.

 

[Pyromaniac605]

So the launch will happen around half way through the broadcast?

Darren

 

[orb]

The live broadcast of launch coverage has already started:
http://www.jaxa.jp/countdown/f18/live/index_e.html

The launch is planned in about 40 minutes.

 

[Pyromaniac605]

Oh must have only just started coz I hadn't restarted my page too long ago.

Darren

Edit: Missed it, stupid USTREAM.

 

[orb]

The mission of H-2A F18 rocket was successful.

Lift-off took place at 11:17 UTC, with payload fairing jettison at 11:22 UTC, successful first stage engine cut-off and staging, second stage engine first ignition at 11:24 UTC, SECO1 at 11:30 UTC, second ignition at 11:42 UTC, and QZS-1 MICHIBIKI separation at 11:46 UTC.

Launch replay of H-2A F18 with QZS-1 MICHIBIKI

 

[IronRain]

Always, when that Japanese translator says ''lift-off'' it sounds like she says that with a smile... Don't know why

 

[orb]

Yes, it sounds like: ":woohoo:".
:lol:

I think she's the same translator as for a few previous JAXA launches.

---------- Post added at 15:23 ---------- Previous post was at 14:56 ----------

JAXA: Launch Result of the First Quasi-Zenith Satellite 'MICHIBIKI' by H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 18.


A few photos of the liftoff:

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[Orbinaut Pete]

Awesome coverage, orb!

NASASpaceFlight: "JAXA launch MICHIBIKI via HII-A launch vehicle".

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: Navigation satellite launched to show the way in Japan:

An H-2A rocket flew to space Saturday with a Japanese satellite to meet a pressing need for improved navigation services amid the country's numerous mountains and high-rise buildings.

The rocket's payload is the first of three planned satellites to fill coverage gaps from U.S. Global Positioning System satellites caused by signal blockage from mountains and skyscrapers.
...

 

[Pyromaniac605]

Thanks for the video orb.

Darren