Launch News IGS Optical-6 - H-IIA F38 Feb. 27, 2018 (04:34-04:48 UTC)

[Nicholas Kang]

A Japanese H-IIA rocket will launch the six optical reconnaissance in Japan’s Information Gathering Satellite System. This is the second in the third generation of optical imaging satellites orbited by the Japanese in a program initiated in 2003 to end reliance on foreign allies provided reconnaissance data to Japan, primarily dedicated to watching over North Korean missile activities.

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Launch date:​

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February 27, 2018​

Instantaneous Launch Window:​

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04:34-04:48 UTC​

Launch site:​

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Tanegashima Pad 1, Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-1, Japan, 〒891-3793 Kagoshima-ken, Kumage-gun, Minamitane-chō, Kukinaga, 南種子町茎永麻津​

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[highlight]L[eventtimer]2018-02-27 04:34:00;%c%%ddd%/%hh%:%mm%:%ss%[/eventtimer][/highlight]​

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Launch coverage:

Payload:

Not much is known about this satellite given the mission's secretive nature.
The IGS-Optical 6 (Intelligence Gathering Satellite) is the second of the third generation Japanese optical reconnaissance satellite. The satellites are operated by the Cabinet Satellite Information Center. The satellite serves both Japan's national defense and civil natural disaster monitoring.

(No image available for the 3rd generation IGS-Optical satellite.)

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Specifications​

Type / Application:|

• Reconnaissance
• Optical

Operator:|

• Cabinet Satellite Information Center of the Japan Government

Contractors:|

• Mitsubishi Electric (MELCO)

Orbit:|

• 483 km × 495 km
• 97.4°
• (Data from IGS-Optical 5)

Launch Vehicle:

H-IIA is a Japanese Launch Vehicle. It is a two-stage rocket operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and MHI. H-IIA is built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The Vehicle is capable of flying satellite missions as well as releasing spacecraft into planetary trajectories. Based on its capabilities, H-IIA is a medium-lift launcher which can place payloads in a variety of Orbits including Low Earth orbit and Geostationary Transfer Orbit. The H-IIA Rocket is being launched from the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. Current Launches are operated by MHI only as JAXA handed the Launch System over in 2007.

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In the 202 Configuration, the Launcher features two Stages (first digit), no Liquid Rocket Boosters (second digit) and two Solid Rocket Boosters (third digit).

The 202 Version of the H-IIA Launcher has a liftoff mass of 285,000 Kilograms and is 53 Meters in length. It has a diameter of 4 meters and features two Solid Rocket Boosters.

Its first and second stage use liquid Hydrogen and liquid Oxygen as propellants. The Launcher can lift payloads of up to 11,000 kilograms to Low Earth Orbit. Sun Synchronous orbit and GTO Capabilities are about 4,000 Kilograms.

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Specifications​

Manufacturer:|

• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Height:|

• 53 m

Diameter:|

• 4 m

Launch Mass:|

• 285,000 kg

Stages:|

• 2

Boosters:|

• 2

Mass to LEO:|

• 11,000 kg

Mass to SSO:|

• 3,600 - 4,400 kg

Mass to GTO:|

• 4,100 kg

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Weather forecast for Tanegashima

Links:

• Gunter's Space Page IGS-Optical 5,6
• Spaceflight101.com H-IIA Rocket 202 Configuration
• Spaceflight101.com Calendar
• JAXA Press Release on the Postponement of the launch due to bad weather (Issued 24th of Feb 2018)