Launch Result of S-310-44 Sounding Rocket
January 15, 2016 (JST)
National Research and Development Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency （JAXA） launched the S-310-44 sounding rocket from the Uchinoura Space Center on January 15 (Fri.), 2016, with the objective of “clarifying the heating phenomenon of ionospheric plasma”.
The flight went smoothly, and the S-310-44 dropped into the south eastern ocean off Uchinoura.
| Sounding rocket | Launch time (Japan standard time) | Elevation angle | Observation start (when the nosecone opened) | Highest altitude reached | Splashdown time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-310-44 | 12:00 p.m. | 75.5 degrees | 60 seconds after liftoff | 161 km (198 seconds after liftoff) | 388 seconds after liftoff |
The weather at the time of the launch was cloudy, the wind speed was 2.0 meters/second, from the north, and the temperature was 8.0 degrees Celsius. With this launch, the experiment by the sounding rocket S-310-44 has been completed. We would like to express our profound appreciation to all related parties and personnel who have been cooperating with the launch of the S-310-44.
<For your reference>
The experiment of the S-310-44 this time aims to clarify the heating phenomenon of the plasma occurring near the focus of the Sq current system (*) generated in the lower ionosphere, thus we measured the plasma, electric field and magnetic field in the high-temperature layer. JAXA and pertinent universities will analyze observation data in detail.
The Ionosphere exists around other planets that have atmosphere; therefore, deeper understanding thanks to the result of the experiment this time will be useful for studying atmosphere and the ionosphere of other planets.
(*) Sq current system: Electric current in the lower ionosphere caused by the movement of atmosphere generated by energy input from the sun