Launch Result of H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 23
with GPM Core Observatory onboard
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 23 (H-IIA F23) with the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core observatory onboard at 3:37 a.m. on February 28, 2014 (Japan Standard Time, JST) from the Tanegashima Space Center.
The launch vehicle flew smoothly, and, at about 15 minutes and 57 seconds after liftoff, the separation of the GPM core observatory was confirmed.
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 of the H-IIA F23.
At the time of the launch, the weather was fine, a wind speed was 3.1 meters/second from the north-west and the temperature was 14.1 degrees Celsius.
H-IIA F23 Flight Sequence (Quick Report)
| Event | Actual?*1 | Estimated *2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Liftoff | 0 min. 0 sec. | 0 min. 0 sec. |
| 2. Solid rocket boosters (SRB-A) burnout *3 | 1 min. 34 sec. | 1 min. 31 sec. |
| 3. Solid rocket booster (SRB-A) jettison *4 | 1 min. 48 sec. | 1 min. 46 sec. |
| 4. Payload fairing jettison | 4 min. 17 sec. | 4 min. 11 sec. |
| 5. First stage/Main engine cutoff (MECO) | 6 min. 47 sec. | 6 min. 41 sec. |
| 6. First and second stages separation | 6 min. 55 sec. | 6 min. 49 sec. |
| 7. Second stage engine lock in (SELI) | 7 min. 4 sec. | 6 min. 59 sec. |
| 8. Second stage engine cutoff (SECO) | 15 min. 6 sec. | 15 min. 2 sec. |
| 9. GPM Core Observatory separation | 15 min. 57 sec. | 15 min. 53 sec. |
*1 Quick report values before detailed data evaluation.
*2 The estimated values in this chart incorporate actually measured data from the engine performance tests of the F23 engines; therefore some of them may be different from the values in the Launch Plan.
*3 The definition of a "SRB-A burnout" is when the combustion chamber pressure becomes 10%.
*4 The definition of the “SRB-A jettison” is the separation of the rear braces.
|
|