Launch News H-IIA launch with IGS Optical-5, March 26, 2015

[Cosmic Penguin]

Japan continues its quick pace of activities on its island space center! For the 4th time in less than 6 months, Japan's Tanegashima Space Center is housing a rocket launch.

As with the last launch less than 2 months ago, the H-IIA rocket is delivering yet another Japanese spysat! The Information Gathering Satellite (IGS) constellation has been active since the turn of the century to provide secret eyes over places like North Korea.

The 28th H-IIA rocket will carry the latest member of the optical surveillance part of the system, which was reported to be having an improved 40 cm resolution ability (not enough to beat WorldView-3 though ).

Liftoff is scheduled tomorrow at 01:21 UTC at the start of a 12 minute window. Weather is expected to be clear at liftoff:

Weather Forecast for Tanegashima Airport, Japan on March 26, 2015 (10 a.m.)

Sunny skies. High 13C. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 km/h.

Time|Temps|Dew Point|Relative Humidity|Precip|Snow|Cloud cover|Pressure|Wind|Weather
10 AM|12°C|2°C|51%|0%|0%|27%|1034 hPa|11 km/h ENE|

Clear

Live broadcast links to come soon.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Here is the live broadcast link:

Some photos of the rocket at the pad:

 

[boogabooga]

Is everything okay, they are looking at the sky and talking? :shrug:

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Is everything okay, they are looking at the sky and talking? :shrug:

Flying nominally (you were 5 minutes late ). Should be close to S/C sep. right now.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Success!

(source 1, 2, 3)

....and the launch as seen from a news helicopter!

 

[Pipcard]

Japan continues its quick pace of activities on its island space center! For the 4th time in less than 6 months, Japan's Tanegashima Space Center is housing a rocket launch.

I wouldn't call it "quick." The next scheduled launch (HTV-5) won't be until August.

It's good that the fishing season launch ban was lifted almost five years ago, but as it says in the article, spysats could be an exception in those times.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

I wouldn't call it "quick." The next scheduled launch (HTV-5) won't be until August.

It's good that the fishing season launch ban was lifted almost five years ago, but as it says in the article, spysats could be an exception in those times.

"Quick" as in being quick for Japan, which unlike the Europeans have completely failed in marketing their rockets and satellites until very recently. But that's about to change with a Canadian communication satellite flying on the H-IIA late this year!


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-_NUvdkYIE"]H2Aロケット28号機打ち上げ - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5rrgyIs2-Y"]H2Aロケット 28号機　打ち上げ - YouTube[/ame]