LIVE COVERAGE: H-IIA KIZUNA (WINDS) Launch (updated 9:23 GMT)

9:23 GMT (4:23 am EST): Successful separation of KIZUNA.

9:22 GMT (4:22 am EST): Second stage engine shutdown. The rocket has done its work and KIZUNA will be separated in about one minute.

9:19 GMT (4:19 am EST): The second stage reignited and will burn for about 3 minutes.

9:07 GMT (4:07 am EST): Shut-down of the upper stage. The rocket now enters a cruise phase. The second stage engine will be fired for the second time in about 12 minutes.

9:01 GMT (4:01 am EST): Main engine cutoff and separation of the first stage. The second cryogenic stage ignited. The upper stage will now make its first burn for over 5 minutes.

8:59 GMT (3:59 am EST): The payload fairing is jettisoned. As the rocket reached over 160 kilometers altitude and left the dense atmosphere, this cover is no longer needed.

8:57 GMT (3:57 am EST): The last two SSBs are burnt out and all boosters have been jettisioned. The cryogenic core stage continues to push to rocket skywards.

8:56 GMT (3:56 am EST): The first two small solid rocket boosters have done their work and the second pair is ignited.

8:56 GMT (3:56 am EST): The SRBs are burnt out and jettisioned.

8:55 GMT (3:55 am EST): 10 seconds into the flight, the solid strap-on boosters (SSB) were ignited.

8:55 GMT (3:55 am EST): Liftoff of the H-IIA rocket carrying KIZUNA into GTO.

8:54 GMT (3:54 am EST): T-1. Switched to onboard power. Everything is ready for the launch of the H-IIA rocket. The main engine will be ignited 6 seconds before liftoff to ensure proper operation.

8:50 GMT (3:50 am EST): The countdown is resumed. 5 minutes until launch at 8:55 GMT.

8:47 GMT (3:47 am EST): Countdown is on hold for 5 minutes. That would target the launch at the end of the launch window at 8:55 GMT.

8:45 GMT (3:45 am EST): 5 minutes remaining until the launch.

8:35 GMT (3:35 am EST): 15 minutes remaining until the launch.

8:10 GMT (3:10 am EST): Additionally to the strong winds, there seems to have been a boat inside the security perimeter.

8:00 GMT (3:00 am EST): The launch has been delay due to too strong ground winds. The new launch time is set to 8:50 GMT (3:50 am EST) near the end of today’s launch window.

7:48 GMT (2:48 am EST): There seems to be another delay.

7:45 GMT (2:45 am EST): 10 minutes remaining until the launch. Everything is currently on go. Winds are quite strong today.

7:05 GMT (2:05 am EST): The launch time has been set now to 7:55 GMT (2:55 am EST). 50 minutes remaining until the launch.

6:20 GMT (1:20 am EST): T-1 hour: The guidance systems will now be updated with today’s launch parameters. Everything so far looks good for the launch in 60 minutes.

1:20 GMT (8:20 pm EST): T-6 hours. Fueling of the H-IIA has commenced. The core and upper stage are both powered by cryogenic propellants, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

February 23, 2008

February 22, 2008: The H-IIA rocket stands ready with the super high-speed Internet satellite “KIZUNA” (WINDS) on its Yoshinobu launch pad in Tanegashima.

The “KIZUNA” is a communications satellite that enables super high-speed data communications of up to 1.2 Gbps
It has a mass of about 2,700 kilograms and will generate at least 5 kilowatts of power at the end of the designed life of 5 years.

The H-IIA, vehicle number 14, will fly in its 2024 configuration: The core stage is surrounded by six solid rocket boosters, two of them big 154 tonnes heavy boosters burning for 2 minutes, and four of them smaller, 62 tonnes heavy, so called solid strap-on boosters (SSB) for additional thrust during one minute of the lift-off phase.
The rocket stands 54 metres tall and weighs 348 tonnes.
The payload fairing is 4 metres wide and 12 metres long.

The launch window opens for 95 minutes at 7:20 GMT on February 23 (2:20 am EST). The injection orbit will be a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) with a perigee of 250 kilometres and a apogee of 35,976 kilometres.

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