Japan launches astronomy satellite
Posted: Wed, Feb 22, 2006, 7:43 AM ET (1243 GMT)
An M-5 rocket successfully launched a Japanese astronomy satellite early Wednesday, the second launch in less than a week for the Japanese space agency. The M-5 rocket lifted off from the Uchinoura Space Center at 4:28 pm EST Tuesday (2128 GMT Tuesday, 6:28 am JST Wednesday) and deployed the 950-kilogram Astro-F satellite about eight and a half minutes later. The spacecraft, renamed Akari ("light") after launch, is operating well, although JAXA announced in a statement that a problem with the spacecraft's sun sensor had prevented the spacecraft from getting into the proper attitude; the spacecraft is instead using an Earth sensor and gyroscopes to get into the proper orientation. Akari is an infrared astronomy satellite, carrying a 70-cm telescope and two instruments. The launch is the third this year for JAXA, more than in all of 2005, and the second in less than a week.
An M-5 rocket successfully launched a Japanese astronomy satellite early Wednesday, the second launch in less than a week for the Japanese space agency. The M-5 rocket lifted off from the Uchinoura Space Center at 4:28 pm EST Tuesday (2128 GMT Tuesday, 6:28 am JST Wednesday) and deployed the 950-kilogram Astro-F satellite about eight and a half minutes later. The spacecraft, renamed Akari ("light") after launch, is operating well, although JAXA announced in a statement that a problem with the spacecraft's sun sensor had prevented the spacecraft from getting into the proper attitude; the spacecraft is instead using an Earth sensor and gyroscopes to get into the proper orientation. Akari is an infrared astronomy satellite, carrying a 70-cm telescope and two instruments. The launch is the third this year for JAXA, more than in all of 2005, and the second in less than a week.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Vast signs contract with SpaceX for ISS private astronaut missions
Posted: Sat, Dec 21 11:59 AM ET (1659 GMT) Avio signs ESA contracts for Vega upgrades and Earth science satellite launch
Posted: Sat, Dec 21 11:57 AM ET (1657 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, December 22
Rocket Lab launches sixth Synspective radar imaging satellite
Space News — 6:36 am ET (1136 GMT) SpaceX launches second mid-inclination rideshare mission
Space News — 6:36 am ET (1136 GMT) S. Korea successfully launches 3rd spy satellite into orbit
Yonhap News — 6:35 am ET (1135 GMT) HawkEye 360 Announces Successful Launch and First Contact with Cluster 11
HawkEye 360 — 6:31 am ET (1131 GMT) |
