The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said Wednesday that it has postponed the launch of its sixth Epsilon solid-fuel rocket, which was scheduled for Friday morning.
JAXA made the decision because conditions after the launch are unlikely to be suitable for operations to track the Epsilon-6.
The Epsilon-6 rocket is expected to be launched Tuesday or later from JAXA's Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.
JAXA usually uses radio waves from positioning satellites orbiting Earth to track a rocket after its launch, but it may lose the Epsilon-6 rocket's location in the worst case as satellite positions and other conditions are expected to be unfavorable unless the launch is postponed, according to the agency.
This is the first time in Japan for a rocket launch to be put off for such a reason, a JAXA official said, adding that it is a "rare case."
Quelle: nippon.com
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The Epsilon Launch Vehicle is a solid-fuel rocket designed to lower the threshold to space hitherto regarded as “special” and usher in an age in which everyone can make active use of space. Under the banner of “the world’s most compact launch”, JAXA has sought to streamline assembly, inspection and other operations and to renovate the entire launch system, spanning operations, equipment and airframes. Ingenious approaches have been taken to reduce vibration and noise as well as to buffer shocks during satellite separation from the rocket in order to achieve a world-class ride. Four Epsilon Launch Vehicles have been launched from the Uchinoura Space Center, all successfully.
Quelle: JAXA
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Update: 12.10.2022
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Japan's Epsilon rocket failed after launch - Kyodo
The Japanese space agency's Epsilon rocket failed after it was launched on Wednesday, Kyodo News and other domestic media reported.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) sent a destruction order signal to the rocket after detecting trouble, Kyodo said. Public broadcaster NHK said the signal was sent after JAXA determined that rocket was not able to fly safely.
It was the first failure of a major Japanese rocket launch since 2003, and the first of the Epsilon series of rockets, NHK said.
Quelle: Reuters
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Japan's Epsilon rocket fails during launch of tech-demonstrating satellite: reports
A problem occurred during launch, and a signal was sent to destroy the rocket.
Japan's first orbital launch of 2022 did not go according to plan.
A Japanese Epsilon rocket lifted off from Uchinoura Space Center at 8:50 p.m. EDT on Tuesday (Oct. 11; 0050 GMT and 9:50 a.m. local Japan time on Oct. 12 ), on a mission known as Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration 3.
Everything went smoothly initially; the solid rocket's first two stages performed nominally, according to callouts by commentators during the launch webcast, which was provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
But that webcast indicated that trouble seemed to arise around the time when the third stage was supposed to kick on. As a result, mission controllers activated Epsilon's flight termination system, which destroyed the rocket, Japanese media outlet NHK reported(opens in new tab).
"JAXA is investigating the detailed cause of the trouble," NHK wrote on Tuesday night (in Japanese; translation by Google).
The main satellite that was supposed to reach orbit on Tuesday was RAISE 3 ("Rapid Innovative payload demonstration Satellite 3), a 240-pound (110 kilograms) craft packed with seven technology-testing payloads.
Those payloads included two experimental thrusters, one of which was designed to use water as fuel; a satellite-deorbiting "drag sail;" a deployable power-generating membrane structure that can also serve as an antenna; telecom tech; a high-speed software receiver; and a commercial graphics processing unit, according to EverydayAstronaut.com(opens in new tab).
Five tiny cubesats also flew on the Epsilon tonight as rideshare payloads.
Tonight's mission was the sixth overall for the 78-foot-tall (24 meters) Epsilon, and its first failure. The five successful liftoffs occurred in September 2013, December 2016, January 2018, January 2019 and November 2021.
The three most recent Epsilon launches all serviced JAXA's Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program, which aims to spur the development of novel Japanese space tech, especially gear developed by universities and private companies.
