LAUNCH CENTER

Success

Sat Dec 23 2017

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

GCOM-C1 & SLATS

Launch Successful

LAUNCH PREVIEW

Launch Time

(1:26 AM UTC)

Launch Window Start

(1:26 AM UTC)

Launch Window End

(1:48 AM UTC)

RECOVERY OVERVIEW

Location

No Recovery Specified

Type

No Recovery Specified

Rocket Details

Name:

H-IIA 202

Description:

H-IIA (H2A) is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch Akatsuki, which studied the planet Venus. Launches occur at the Tanegashima Space Center.

MISSION OVERVIEW

Type: Earth Science
GCOM-C1 is another satellite in JAXA's Earth observation Global Change Observation Mission (GCOM) constellation. This spacecraft is the first satellite in GCOM-C series and is intended to operate in sun-synchronous orbit for 5 years. It aims to collect surface and atmospheric measurements in order to monitor global climate change. Along with it is launched an engineering test satellite SLATS (Super Low Altitude Test Satellite), which is an attempt to develop techniques to operate a satellite in extremely low orbits. SLATS will try achieve that by maintaining position in orbit via ion engines. It will also collect data on atmosphere density and measure atomic oxygen in such low altitudes.

COMPLEX OVERVIEW

Location

Tanegashima, Japan

Pad

Yoshinobu Launch Complex