JAXA - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency logo / JAXA - H-IIA UPGRADE logo.
November 24, 2015
H-IIA Rocket Successfully Launches Telstar 12 VANTAGE Satellite
The H-IIA launch vehicle F29 lifted off from the Yoshinobu launch pad at the Tanegashima Space Center today at 15:50 local time (6:50 GMT and 01:50 EST). The launch vehicle flew as planned and, at about 4 hours and 27 minutes after liftoff, the separation of the Telstar 12 VANTAGE satellite was confirmed. H-IIA F29 incorporates the outcome of the H-IIA Upgrade. The upgrade relates to improvements in the launch vehicle's upper stage and MHI has been implementing these improvements with strong support and oversight from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
H-IIA Rocket Launches Telstar 12 VANTAGE Satellite
The H-IIA UPGRADE brought unique capabilities to the H-IIA launch vehicle. The upgrade enables the H-IIA to perform a long coast flight, and allows the second stage engine to ignite for the third time at the apogee. With these new capabilities, the H-IIA was able to inject the Telstar 12 VANTAGE closer to geostationary orbit than conventional geostationary transfer orbit.
H-IIA UPGRADE
Telstar 12 VANTAGE replaces and expands on Telesat's Telstar 12 satellite. Telstar 12 has long been valued by the satellite user community for its ability to seamlessly connect the Americas to Europe and the Middle East from 15 West, one of the few orbital locations that enables such coverage. With Telstar 12 VANTAGE, broadband customers in mobility, government, energy and enterprise markets will now have even greater service options between EMEA and the Americas along with powerful new beams over Brazil, Sub-Saharan Africa, the South Atlantic, the Mediterranean and North Sea.
Telstar 12 VANTAGE Satellite
MHI and JAXA 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 F29.
At the time of the launch, the weather was fine, a wind speed was 8.6 meters/second from the north-east and the temperature was 22.0 degrees Celsius.
References:
MHI Launch Services -H-IIA/H-IIB Launch Vehicle- : http://h2a.mhi.co.jp/en/index.html
H-IIA Launch Vehicle: http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/h2a/
For more information about Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), visit: http://global.jaxa.jp/
Images, Video, Text, Credits: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/National Research and Development Agency/Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd./Airbus Defence and Space/Akameeba.
Best regards, Orbiter.ch
