Akatsuki & minisats (H-2A launched on May 20, 2010)

[Zipi]

Launch time: 21:58:22 GMT (5:58:22 pm EDT)
Launch site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

The Japanese H-2A rocket will launch the Akatsuki spacecraft to Venus. Also called Planet-C or Venus Climate Orbiter, the mission will study the planet's smothering, thick atmosphere from orbit. The H-2A rocket will fly in the 202 configuration with two large solid rocket boosters and no smaller motors. Scrubbed on May 17 due to thick clouds.

Live Stream: http://www.jaxa.jp/countdown/f17/live/index_e.html
Akatsuki's Wikipedia Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akatsuki_(Planet-C)
IKAROS Solar Sail Wikipedia Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IKAROS
JAXA's Akatsuki Page: http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/planet_c/index_e.html

H-IIA Launch Vehicle

H-IIA Launch Services: http://h2a.mhi.co.jp/en/
H-IIA Launch Vehicle Page: http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/h2a/index_e.html
H-IIA Wikipedia Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-IIA
Overview of H-IIA Launch Vehicle: http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/h2a ... h-2af8.pdf
H-IIA Brochure: http://www.jaxa.jp/pr/brochure/pdf/01/rocket01.pdf

H-IIA First Stage

One LE-7A engine burning LOX/LH[sub]2[/sub].

LE-7 Wikipedia Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LE-7
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries LE-7A Page: http://www.mhi.co.jp/en/products/detail ... le-7a.html
MHI's LE-7 Structural Design: http://www.mhi.co.jp/technology/review/ ... 316423.pdf (mostly in Japanese)
Astronautix LE-7 Page: http://www.astronautix.com/engines/le7.htm
LE-7 Videos: http://www.google.com/search?q=LE-7+roc ... CEgQqwQwCQ

Thrust (vacuum): 112 ton
Isp (vacuum): 440sec
Weight: 1,980kg
Length: 3,670mm

H-IIA Boosters

For this launch two Castor IVA-XL (4AXL) solid rocket boosters.

Castor Wikipedia Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_(rocket_stage)
ATK's H-IIA Booster Page: http://www.atk.com/Customer_Solutions_S ... _H-IIA.asp
ATK Propulsion Product Catalog 2008: http://www.ltas-vis.ulg.ac.be/cmsms/upl ... lidATK.pdf
Astronautix Castor 4 Page: http://www.astronautix.com/engines/castor4.htm
Castor 4 Specs from Space And Tech: http://www.spaceandtech.com/spacedata/m ... pecs.shtml

H-IIA Second Stage

One LE-5B engine burning LOX/LH[sub]2[/sub].

LE-5B Wikipedia Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LE-5B
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries LE-5B Page: http://www.mhi.co.jp/en/products/detail ... le-5b.html
Astronautix LE-5B Page: http://www.astronautix.com/engines/le5b.htm

Thrust (vacuum): 14 ton
Isp (vacuum): 449sec
Weight: 285kg
Length: 2,765mm

Tanegashima Space Center

JAXA Tanegashima Space Center Page: http://www.jaxa.jp/about/centers/tnsc/index_e.html
JAXA Tanegashima Web Cam: http://space.jaxa.jp/tnsc/webcam/index_e.shtml
JAXA Tanegashima Layout: http://www.jaxa.jp/about/centers/tnsc/map_e.html
Visiting Tanegashima Space Center: http://www.jaxa.jp/about/centers/tnsc/traffic_e.html
Google Maps link for Tanegashima Space Center: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 1&t=h&z=16

 

[JonClarke]

Re: May 17 H-2A - Akatsuki

Do you have a picture of the solar sail?

 

[Zipi]

Re: May 17 H-2A - Akatsuki

Do you have a picture of the solar sail?

JAXA IKAROS Page: http://www.jspec.jaxa.jp/e/activity/ikaros.html
JAXA IKAROS Leaflet: http://www.jspec.jaxa.jp/e/activity/ikarosleaflet.pdf

Spaceflight Now's Mission Status Center: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/h2a/akatsuki/status.html
SFN's Akatsuki Mission Timeline: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/h2a/akats ... eline.html

Ground Track:

 

[holmec]

Re: May 17 H-2A - Akatsuki

Awesome info.....hope this launch is successful.....

Pretty ambitious launch. Two probes to Venus....one a solar sail....

 

[High_Evolutionary]

Re: May 17 H-2A - Akatsuki

I just peeked on the Jaxa website and apparently due to weather conditions the launch has been posponed. No new launch date has been announced.

 

[n0mid0]

Re: May 17 H-2A - Akatsuki

Is there any update when it will be lauched?
_______________
photo painting
logo design contests

 

[Zipi]

Re: H-2A - Akatsuki -- Posponed due weather

Latest press release, which don't announce new launch date:

Launch Postponement of Venus Climate Orbiter 'AKATSUKI' (PLANET-C) by H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 17
May 18, 2010 (JST)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency would like to announce that we have decided to postpone the launch of the Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI" (PLANET-C) by H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 17 (H-IIA F17) as we observed clouds including a freezing layer (see attachment) that exceeded the restrictions for suitable weather.

The launch was originally scheduled for May 18, 2010 (Japan Standard Time, JST) from the Tanegashima Space Center.

We will inform the new launch date as soon as it is determined.

Link to this press release: http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2010/05/20100518_h2af17_e.html

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: H-2A - Akatsuki -- Posponed due weather

Nice weather report image

I thought i missed the launch, now i have one more chance

 

[Zipi]

Re: May 20, H-2A - Akatsuki

New Launch Day of Venus Climate Orbiter 'AKATSUKI' (PLANET-C) by H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 17
May 18, 2010 (JST)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency have announced the postponement of the launch of the Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI" (PLANET-C) by H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 17 (H-IIA F17) today due to adverse weather conditions.

After studying weather conditions from tomorrow, we decided to carry out the launch at 6:58:22 a.m. on May 21, 2010 (Japan Standard Time, JST) because the weather is expected to recover in that timeframe.

JAXA Press Release: http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2010/05/201005 ... 7_2_e.html

 

[Zipi]

Re: May 20, H-2A - Akatsuki

Spaceflight Now's Mission Status Center says that the rocket is now fully fueled for the launch:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/h2a/akatsuki/status.html

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: May 20, H-2A - Akatsuki

Live stream (http://www.jaxa.jp/countdown/f17/live/index_e.html) is not live yet, seams too soon, should be at 80 min before launch.

Nice photos of second roll-out:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/h2a/akatsuki/100520gallery/

 

[voyager4d]

Re: May 20, H-2A - Akatsuki

T-60 min: Live stream has started: http://www.jaxa.jp/countdown/f17/live/index_e.html

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: May 20, H-2A - Akatsuki

Almost a cross-post with the same info

 

[voyager4d]

Re: May 20, H-2A - Akatsuki

T-30 min

 

[voyager4d]

Re: May 20, H-2A - Akatsuki

T-5 min

 

[voyager4d]

Re: May 20, H-2A - Akatsuki

Liftoff

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: May 20, H-2A - Akatsuki

SRB separation, second stage ignition successful, all normal.

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: May 20, H-2A - Akatsuki

Akatsuki is already separated, solar sail will be soon.

Couple of launch images :

 

[Zipi]

Re: May 20, H-2A - Akatsuki

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5rzIsDNrL4[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DTWdNqlwO4[/youtube]

 

[3488]

Re: H-2A - Akatsuki (launched May 20, 2010)

Akatsuki returns first light images of receding crescent Earth in IR & UV.

Andrew Brown.

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: H-2A - Akatsuki (launched May 20, 2010)

Akatsuki returns first light images of receding crescent Earth in IR & UV.

Andrew Brown.

Cute I was surprised how far it is already.

planetary.org : Akatsuki captures goodbye shots of Earth

By Emily Lakdawalla

May. 22, 2010 | 19:50 PDT | May. 23 02:50 UTC

Three of Akatsuki's six science instruments have now checked in as operating normally, producing lovely photos of the receding homeworld. They were taken at around 20:50 on May 21 (I think that is Japan time, so it would be 11:50 UT if that were true). At the time, Akatsuki was about 250,000 kilometers from Earth, which subtended about 3 degres of its field of view.

More importantly, Akatsuki is receding from Earth's night side, so the view is of a thinly lit crescent -- very pretty.

 

[3488]

Re: H-2A - Akatsuki (launched May 20, 2010)

Thanks EarthlingX.

Colour views of receding Earth UV & IR.

IR night time shot from Akatsuki. Landmasses outlined.

Andrew Brown.

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: H-2A - Akatsuki (launched May 20, 2010)

www.jaxa.jp : Initial Operation Result of the Venus Climate Orbiter 'AKATSUKI'

May 21, 2010 (JST)

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) received the signal transmitted from the Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI" at the Uchinoura Space Center at 4:40 p.m. on May 21, 2010 (Japan Standard Time, JST), and confirmed that the scheduled sequence of events including the solar array paddle deployment and sun acquisition were successfully performed.
The AKATSUKI was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center at 6:58:22 a.m. on May 21, 2010 (JST)
The orbiter is currently in a healthy state.

We are preparing for the AKATSUKI injection into the Venus orbit in early December while checking functions of the onboard equipment and controlling the attitude and orbit.

We would like to express our profound appreciation for the cooperation and support of all related personnel and organizations that helped contribute to the successful launch and tracking and control operations of the AKATSUKI.

www.jaxa.jp : The Operation Status of the Small Solar Power Sail Demonstrator 'IKAROS'

May 22, 2010 (JST)

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) acquired the signal transmitted from the IKAROS at the Usuda Deep Space Station and confirmed its solar power generation and stable posture, and established communications. We will turn on onboard devices one by one.

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: H-2A - Akatsuki (launched May 20, 2010)

www.newscientist.com : First student-built interplanetary mission goes silent

00:01 29 May 2010 by David Shiga

A spacecraft built by students has been launched towards another planet for the first time, but it has fallen ominously silent.

The toaster-oven-sized cube called UNITEC-1 was launched towards Venus on 21 May. It hitched a ride on the same rocket that launched a half-tonne Venus orbiter named Akatsuki, which was built by Japan's national space agency.

UNITEC-1 was designed and built largely by students, though the project was led by University of Tokyo professor Shinichi Nakasuka.

Its main purpose was to test computer chips for longevity in the harsh radiation and temperature environment of space. It carried six chips designed at different Japanese universities, which were to compete to see which one would last the longest. It also carried a radiation detector and a small camera.

Radio dishes in Japan briefly detected signals from UNITEC-1 after launch, but for reasons that are not yet clear, the spacecraft fell silent a few hours later and has not been heard from since.

The growing length of the silence has the mission team worried that the spacecraft has broken down. "But we are still working to receive the signal," says team member Naomi Kurahara.

UNITEC-1 was one of five small spacecraft that hitched rides on the H-IIA rocket used to launch Japan's Akatsuki mission to Venus (Illustration: JAXA)

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: H-2A - Akatsuki (launched May 20, 2010)

http://www.planetary.org : Photo proof of good progress on IKAROS sail deployment

May. 31, 2010 | 14:00 PDT | 21:00 UTC

By Emily Lakdawalla

The images below are self-portraits by IKAROS. While I think it is automatically cool for spacecraft to take photos of themselves in places far beyond Earth, they usually do so for a purpose other than vanity. In this particular case, they're photo proof that the multi-step process of the deployment of IKAROS' square solar sail is going according to plan! I took them from this JAXA site (hat tip to "Punkboi" for pointing out the update).

IKAROS tip mass deployed (Cam 1)

IKAROS sail deployment diagram
Credit: ISAS / JAXA

JAXA : AKATSUKI/H-IIAF17 Quick Review [HD]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exl00XUq7So[/youtube]