[FG Lurker]

Another billion dollar fireworks show!

Our tax dollars hard at work...

[goldenboy_ge]

Japan and a Space Program......

[Big Booger]

TOKYO - Japan successfully fired a state-owned satellite into orbit on Saturday in a key step toward restoring faith in its space program, 15 months after its previous launch attempt ended in failure. The Japanese-built H-2A rocket powered into the evening sky leaving a huge plume of vapor above the launch site on the tiny island of Tanegashima, 620 miles southwest of Tokyo at 6:25 p.m. (4:25 a.m. EST).

"The satellite separated from the rocket about 40 minutes after takeoff and is now in its initial orbit," Tsukasa Mito, an executive director at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) told a post-launch news conference.

The dual-purpose navigation and meteorological satellite is due to start operating in May. Television showed scientists applauding and shaking hands in the control room. "At the moment of takeoff, my heart swelled," said Education and Science Minister Nariaki Nakayama, whose ministry oversees JAXA. "When I heard the satellite had separated successfully, I was relieved, but at the same time I thought it was a matter of course." Takeoff was more than an hour later than planned after an error occurred in the H-2A's data transmission system.

Poor weather had caused an earlier two-day delay. A faulty rocket booster prompted controllers to blow up the previous H-2A shortly after launch in November 2003. That mishap followed five consecutive successes. The aborted mission resulted in the loss of two spy satellites intended to monitor secretive North Korea, which earlier this month announced it has nuclear weapons and was pulling out of six-way talks aimed at ending its nuclear ambitions. It also embarrassed Japan, just weeks after China put a man in space, a feat Japan has never attempted.

Reuters Story

[Buraku]

SELENE ( Kaguya)

Selene will take 5 days to reach the Moon, it will carry 13 instruments including imagers, laser altimeter, radar sounder...

Launch was already postponed due to the discovery that some electronic components have been installed backwards

Hopefully this problem has now been corrected

Japan is going to explore the Moon !

http://www.jaxa.jp/countdown/f13/index_e.html

planned launch on 01:35:47, September 13, 2007 UTC.

Only a few days to go before lift-off !

[Greji]

Only a few days to go before lift-off !

Wonder how long before the destruct button?

[Buraku]

launch delayed for 24hrs, new launch date on Friday




lift off with the 13th vehicle on the 13th day would have been just too unlucky for japan

[Buraku]

Japan enters orbit of nations exploring the moon
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070912f1.html

On Friday, Japan is scheduled to launch its SELENE (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) lunar exploration orbiter, nicknamed Kaguya, after the princess who returns to the moon in "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," a folktale of the early Heian Period (794-1185).

[Buraku]

"This picture shows current state of Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC).
http://space.jaxa.jp/tnsc/webcam/index_e.shtml
(This picture is automatically updated at intervals. Please click "Reload" button of browser to see the latest image.) "


22:25 ST, less than 12 hrs to go

[DrP]

Any odds on this actually making it into orbit? Race??? Ummm, we sort of did this like over 50yrs ago with technology no more impressive than basically TNT in a can... So whats up with Japan? Late learners? Been there, done that.

[Buraku]

Wouldn't really call it a race as the USA has been-there done-that in 69, and the Soviets were beaten but they also pulled off a sample return with one of their robotic missions.

I'm not sure if you can totally call the Japanese late learners because the technology hasn't changed much, we never got those star wars warpdrives or buck rogers spaceships and launch vehicles used today are basically nearly exactly the same as the original ICBMs/Launchers that got some of the first missions into space during the 60s.


There's a little bit of media hype in Asia, mostly because India and China also have plans for the Moon. If there is any race on in the near future it will be what nation is first to develop a fully functional Moonbase

or who will be the first to bring samples back from Mars.

[Typhoon]

Wouldn't really call it a race as the USA has been-there done-that in 69, and the Soviets were beaten but they also pulled off a sample return with one of their robotic missions.

I'm not sure if you can totally call the Japanese late learners because the technology hasn't changed much, we never got those star wars warpdrives or buck rogers spaceships and launch vehicles used today are basically nearly exactly the same as the original ICBMs/Launchers that got some of the first missions into space during the 60s.


There's a little bit of media hype in Asia, mostly because India and China also have plans for the Moon. If there is any race on in the near future it will be what nation is first to develop a fully functional Moonbase

The Japanese manned space-flight program is well advanced.

Training:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBSLMGNHuGM

Launch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJvG5pV9HWc

[Buraku]

The Japanese manned space-flight program is well advanced.

Training:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBSLMGNHuGM

Launch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJvG5pV9HWc

great !



Anyhow back to this serious launch business, aprox 2 hours to lift off.


Let's hope everything goes well for Japan, their space program could do with a little luck.