BY SPACEFLIGHT NOW

Follow the preparations and launch of the inaugural Japanese H-2A rocket carrying an instrumented satellite simulator. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2001
0741 GMT (3:41 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 41 minutes. NASDA confirms the Laser Ranging Equipment payload has been deployed, completing today's launch of the H-2A rocket. The instrumented satellite simulator known as Vehicle Evaluation Payload No. 2 will remain attached to the rocket's second stage.

The inaugural flight of Japan's new rocket appears to have been a success. A round of applause just broke out in the launch control center. There were no problems reported during the launch. But the work to accurately determine the orbit achieved for the second stage and still-attached satellite simulator remains ahead, which will prove whether or not the $71 million rocket performed properly.

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0729 GMT (3:29 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 29 minutes. The second stage engine has finished its second burn, completing the powered phase of flight.

0728 GMT (3:28 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 28 minutes. Altitude over 300 km, velocity 9.3 km/sec.

0726 GMT (3:26 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 26 minutes. The second stage engine has been re-ignited. NASDA reports the powerplant is running normally.

0717 GMT (3:17 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 17 minutes. The rocket is currently flying over the Central Pacific Ocean. It is on a southeasterly trajectory away from the Japanese launch site. The vehicle will pass to the southwest of Hawaii before crossing the equator.

0713 GMT (3:13 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 13 minutes. The second stage engine has shut down as planned after the first of two firings planned for today's launch. The vehicle will now coast for a few minutes before the engine is restarted to achieve a geosychronous transfer orbit.

0711 GMT (3:11 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 11 minutes. The rocket is flying its scheduled trajectory and the second stage engine continues to fire, NASDA says.

0709 GMT (3:09 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 9 minutes. Altitude is approximately 275 km, velocity 5 km/sec.

0708 GMT (3:08 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 8 minutes. The second stage engine is up and burning.

0707 GMT (3:07 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 7 minutes, 30 seconds. Cutoff of the first stage engine has occurred and the spent stage has separated. The second stage engine ignition also confirmed.

0705 GMT (3:05 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 5 minutes, 30 seconds. First stage still burning as planned. Attitude control and navigation systems also working normally.

0704 GMT (3:04 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 4 minutes, 30 seconds. The rocket's nose cone, or payload fairing, has been jettisoned.

0703 GMT (3:03 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 30 seconds. Vehicle remains on the proper trajectory.

0703 GMT (3:03 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes. The first stage liquid-fueled main engine continues to fire normally, NASDA says.

0702 GMT (3:02 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minutes. The twin solid-propellant strap-on solid rocket motors have burned out and separated. Vehicle continues to orbit on the power of its first stage main engine.

0701 GMT (3:01 a.m. EDT)

T+plus 1 minute. No problems reported in the first minute of flight.

0700 GMT (3:00 a.m. EDT)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the maiden flight of Japan's H-2A rocket on a demonstration flight to prove the capabilities of the world's newest launcher.

0658 GMT (2:58 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 80 seconds. The sparklers have been fired on the base of the launch pad to burn off any residual hydrogen. Flares will be ignited beneath the main engine to burn away excess hydrogen in that area at T-minus 12 seconds. Also, the pad's water supression system has been activated.

0657 GMT (2:57 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 2 minutes, 30 seconds. The H-2A rocket has switched from ground-supplied power to onboard battery power for launch.

0656 GMT (2:56 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 4 minutes. Launch countdown sequencer now controlling.

0655 GMT (2:55 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 5 minutes. Latest weather checks shows clear skies, a temperature of 29.3 degrees C and a light breeze at the pad.

0654 GMT (2:54 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 6 minutes. Vehicle safety system reported ready.

0652 GMT (2:52 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 8 minutes. A readiness check of the tracking stations at the launch site and downrange locations indicates all is "go" for launch.

0645 GMT (2:45 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 15 minutes.

0625 GMT (2:25 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 35 minutes. The Terminal Countdown continues at the Tanegashima Space Center for launch of the first H-2A rocket at 0700 GMT today. Officials report the replenishment of the rocket's liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen supplies is underway to keep the tanks topped off at 100 percent full. The super-cold cryogenics naturally boil away and have to be replaced.

0600 GMT (2:00 a.m. EDT)

T-minus 60 minutes and counting!

0545 GMT (1:45 a.m. EDT)

Clocks continue ticking down to the 0700 GMT (3:00 a.m. EDT) launch of the inaugural H-2A rocket. The launch team has checked out the vehicle's attitude control system and set the initial flight position and attitude in the system, NASDA reports.

The latest weather report indicates there are some clouds over the launch site, east-northeast winds at 3 to 5 meters per second and a temperature of 29 degrees C. Officials say all conditions are within limits for launch.

0357 GMT (11:57 p.m. EDT Tues.)

The loading of super-cold cyrogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the rocket is now underway. Again, the countdown is leading to the adjusted liftoff time of 0700 GMT (3 a.m. EDT).

0300 GMT (11:00 p.m. EDT Tues.)

NASDA officials are now reporting the new liftoff time is 0700 GMT (3 a.m. EDT). The delay is a result of troubles experienced getting the moveable launch platform and the ground equipment connected together a few hours ago.

0245 GMT (10:45 p.m. EDT Tues.)

Launch of the first Japanese H-2A rocket is slated for today from the Tanegashima Space Center. A technical problem, however, is expected to delay liftoff past the scheduled 0400 GMT (12 a.m. EDT) launch time. Today's available launch window extends to 0900 GMT (5 a.m. EDT).

The rocket was moved the 500-meters from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad several hours ago as the countdown rolled on. But "a malfunction was founded in the connection between the pad and the ground facility," NASDA reported after the mobile launcher platform arrived at the launch pad, causing some delay in pre-flight activities.

The trouble was corrected and thermal conditioning of the propellant systems commenced for loading the rocket with super-cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.

NASDA has not yet announced a new launch time. We'll update this page as information becomes available.

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2001

Final preparations are underway for perhaps the most important launch in Japanese space history -- the inaugural flight of the H-2A rocket. Liftoff is scheduled for 0400 GMT (12 a.m. EDT) on Wednesday from Tanegashima, Japan.

Delayed four days due to a faulty valve in the rocket's second stage liquid oxygen tank, the H-2A's first flight will loft an instrumented payload into a geostationary transfer orbit to validate the success of the mission.

Called Vehicle Evaluation Payload-2, or VEP-2, the dummy satellite contains sensors that will measure the vibration and temperature during launch. Instruments on the craft will also aid in determining the orbit that the H-2A placed it into. Unlike operational payloads, VEP-2 will not separate from the second stage and both the second stage and VEP-2 will remain in geostationary transfer orbit.

Also onboard VEP-2 is a 50 centimeter diameter "mirror ball" satellite that uses mirrors around the circumference of the spacecraft to reflect laser light. Reflected laser light will help determine if the launch payload was placed into the planned egg-shaped orbit. The craft will be released from VEP-2 around 40 minutes after launch.

Over the next two days, final checkouts and preparations for launch will be in full swing. Each part of the H-2A will be checked one last time to make sure they are fit for flight, then the launcher will be armed with its pyrotechnics.

On launch day, the final countdown will commence, followed by the loading of the first and second stages with their propellant load of liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer.

The first stage's LE-7A engine -- an improved version of the LE-7 that caused the failure of an H-2 launch in November 1999 -- will ignite a few moments before liftoff. After ensuring that the engine is healthy, the H-2A's twin solid-fueled strap-on boosters will ignite to immediately send the rocket skyward. Having consumed all of their propellant, the two boosters will be jettisoned just under two minutes into flight. The first stage main engine will continue to burn for almost five more minutes before shutting down. The first stage will then separate and the second stage LE-5B engine will take over. Two burns of the LE-5B will be needed to place the mission's payload into the proper orbit.

The impending flight of the first H-2A rocket comes after three launch failures of both the Japanese H-2 and M-5 rockets over the past three years. If Wednesday's launch is successful it would mark the first time since July 1998 that a rocket launched from Japan has successfully reached orbit. If the results are not so favorable, some experts believe that the future of the Japanese space launch program could be in serious doubt.

Stay with Spaceflight Now on launch day for updates on the progress of the countdown and flight of the H-2A rocket.