Press Release

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Result of the Second Captive Firing Test
for the First Stage Flight Model Tank
of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle

April 22, 2009 (JST)

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. performed the second captive firing test (CFT) for the first stage flight model tank of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle on April 22, 2009 (Japan Standard Time,) at the Tanegashima Space Center. The test went smoothly as follows.

Test purpose - Final verification of the pressure characteristics of the flight tank
- Acquisition of environment data including vibration data in each part of the core vehicle during the firing test
Firing time 1:00 p.m.
Firing duration 150 seconds (150)
Main combustion pressure No. 1 Engine No. 2 Engine
About 12.0 Mpa
(11.7 to 12.9)
About 12.0 Mpa
(11.7 to 12.9)

Numbers in (   ) are scheduled values

We would like to express our profound appreciation to all people and parties related with this CFT.
For your information, the weather at the time of the CFT was cloudy, wind was 8.6 meters per second from the north-west, and the temperature was 19.1 degrees Celsius.