[Project Topics] Development progress for Enhanced Epsilon

The development of the Enhanced Epsilon Launch Vehicle has been going smoothly.
The static firing test of the sub-sized upper-stage motor was completed before the end of March, 2015, as scheduled.
On June 18, shocks and behavior due to the payload separation impact were checked through the pyro-shock test at the Sagamihara Campus.
The Enhanced Epsilon has a better launch capacity compared to the first Epsilon launched in Sept. 2013. The goal is to launch the Exploration of energization and Radiation in Geospace “ERG” in JFY 2016.

The first Epsilon Launch vehicle (Epsilon-1) developed and launched by JAXA in September 2013 received the JFY 2013 Good Design Award Gold Award sponsored by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion.
Epsilon was listed as one of the 1,212 Good Design Award winners from 3,400 nominees, then selected for the best 100 products, and finally chosen for the Gold Award this time.

JAXA launched the first Epsilon Launch Vehicle (Epsilon-1) with the Spectroscopic Planet Observatory for Recognition of Interaction of Atmosphere (SPRINT-A) onboard at 14:00 on September 14 (Sat.), 2013 (Japan Standard Time, JST) from the Uchinouora Space Center.
The launch vehicle flew smoothly, and, at about 61 minutes and 39 seconds after liftoff, the separation of the SPRINT-A was confirmed.
We would like to express our profound appreciation for the cooperation and support of all related personnel and organizations that helped contribute to the launch of the Epsilon-1.
The satellite is currently in good health.
The SPRINT-A’s nickname was also decided. It is “HISAKI”.

JAXA would like to announce that we have set the launch date and time of the first Epsilon Launch Vehicle (Epsilon-1) with the Spectroscopic Planet Observatory for Recognition of Interaction of Atmosphere (SPRINT-A) onboard as follows.

Scheduled launch day: September 14 (Saturday), 2013
Scheduled launch time: 1:45:00 p.m.

JAXA will broadcast a live launch report from the Uchinoura Space Center from 1:25 p.m. on the day. You can watch it through the Internet.
Please send your support message for the launch on the special website, or tweet it including #Epsilon JAXA.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) decided to postpone the launch of the first Epsilon Launch Vehicle (Epsilon-1) with the Spectroscopic Planet Observatory for Recognition of Interaction of Atmosphere (SPRINT-A) onboard on August 27 from the Uchinoura Space Center. As a result of our cause investigation of the postponement and re-examination of the Epsilon-1, the new launch date will be September 14, 2013 (Japan Standard Time) or later.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is now investigating the cause of an automatic stop alarm issued approximately 19 seconds prior to liftoff during the Epsilon-1 launch countdown operation on August 27, 2013. As we have decided to carefully examine the cause and prudently confirm the measures, it is very difficult for us to set the new launch date within August.
We will inform you about the results of our investigation into the cause and the new launch date as soon as they are respectively clarified.
Thank you for your patience.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) cancelled today’s launch of the first Epsilon Launch Vehicle (Epsilon-1) with the Spectroscopic Planet Observatory for Recognition of Interaction of Atmosphere (SPRINT-A) onboard from the Uchinoura Space Center, because an automatic stop alarm was issued as an attitude abnormality was detected approximately 19 seconds prior to the liftoff time during the automatic countdown sequence. The launch had been originally scheduled for 1:45:00 p.m. today (Japan Standard Time).
JAXA is currently investigating the cause.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) decided to postpone the launch of the first Epsilon Launch Vehicle (Epsilon-1) with the Spectroscopic Planet Observatory for Recognition of Interaction of Atmosphere (SPRINT-A) onboard to August 27, 2013,?from the Uchinoura Space Center as JAXA has taken extra time to rectify the incompatibility* found in the ground support equipment during the communication function test between the Epsilon-1 and the equipment in the course of launch campaign at the launch site. The launch was originally scheduled for August 22, 2013 from the center.

Scheduled launch day: August 27 (Tue.) 2013
Scheduled launch time window: 1:45 thru 2:30 p.m.

The Message Campaign for the first Epsilon launch vehicle scheduled to be launched on Aug. 22 was held in April and May, and the result of the campaign is now available on our website.
You can check if your message was selected by your receipt number. Many people, more than expected, participated in the campaign. Thank you very much. Please also confirm where your message is loaded through the page.

The first Epsilon Launch Vehicle (Epsilon-1) with the Spectroscopic Planet Observatory for Recognition of Interaction of Atmosphere (SPRINT-A) onboard is determined to be launched on August 22 (Thursday, Japan Standard Time). The launch time is between 1:30 thru 2:30 p.m. (JST), and the launch site is the Uchinoura Space Center.
Also, the design of the Epsilon 1 was decided! It expresses the tradition and future of the solid-fuel launch vehicle. We are now incorporating your messages in to the design. They were collected through the “Epsilon-1 support message campaign”, which ended on May 7. We received 5,812 messages in total. Thank you very much for your participation.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch the first Epsilon Launch Vehicle (Epsilon-1) in the 2013 summer launch season from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kimotsuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, with the spectrographic planet observation satellite (SPRINT-A) onboard.
JAXA would like to hold a message campaign to welcome your messages on your expectations, hopes, dreams or feelings toward our new launch vehicle, then post them on the vehicle as part of its design by processing them in strings of small letters. This is the first attempt in Japan to place messages on the launch vehicle design.
Through this campaign we hope that you can deepen your understanding of our next generation solid-fuel launch vehicle Epsilon and feel closer to it, so that we can “make people feel more familiar with space, gaining more understanding of and support for space programs.” This is one of the goals of the Epsilon project. Please join our campaigns!

Loaded with a small liquid-fuel engine, the Post Boost Stage (PBS) will be additionally installed on the top of the third stage when higher orbit insertion accuracy is required. The pyro-shock test of the PBS was performed at the Sagamihara Campus in mid June.
The PBS is expected to be used more in low-orbit missions, and it enables the launch vehicle to place a payload more precisely in its scheduled orbit.
The test this time was to verify if the PBS was strong enough to bear with the separation shock from the launch vehicle. A tremendous shock occurs at the time of separation, thus the shock levels for each part were measured. We have confirmed that no problem was found in the PBS through the test.

JAXA made a mockup launch pad on a scale of 1/42 in order to confirm the acoustic environment according to the launch pad configuration. The mockup was based on the design analysis performed mainly by the Epsilon Launch Vehicle Project Team. The acoustic environment measurement test at the mockup launch pad by a small-scale solid motor has been held three times since April 2011 at the Noshiro Rocket Testing Center.
The noise at the time of launch affects not only life in the surrounding area, but also the payload of a launch vehicle including onboard devices of a satellite. Therefore, it is one of the decisive factors for launch. The larger the expected vibrations cause by the launch noise, the greater the margin is required for vibration proof design.
By understanding the acoustic characteristics of launch at the designing stage of the launch site, and taking appropriate measures, we can improve the launch environment for higher reliability, reduce costs and make the site more user-friendly so that the Epsilon’s competitiveness is enhanced.
Through the three test series including the one this time, we were able to acquire very useful data that satisfies our purposes as we found the launch pad configuration can mitigate its acoustic environment.

On September 30, JAXA performed the ground firing test of the sub-size motor (M-34SIM-3) for the Epsilon Launch Vehicle upper stage at the Noshiro Rocket Testing Center. The test mainly aims to verify the insulation material on the upper motor nozzle that is currently under development.
Through this test, we are steadily progressing with the Epsilon development while confirming the insulation function of the upper motor nozzle part based on the test results and maintaining and inheriting the already acquired solid motor static firing test technology.