Japan cancels first launch of Epsilon rocket 19 seconds before liftoff

NBC ^ | 08/27/13 | Tariq Malik

[TigerLikesRooster]

Japan cancels first launch of Epsilon rocket 19 seconds before liftoff

Tariq Malik, Space.com

The first launch of Japan's newest rocket, the next-generation Epsilon booster, hit a major last-minute snag Tuesday, forcing the country's space agency to abort the spaceflight 19 seconds before liftoff.

The glitch occurred extremely late in the countdown for the Epsilon rocket, which was slated to blast off from a seaside pad at the Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan. The rocket was set to launch Tuesday at 12:45 a.m. EDT, which was 1:45 p.m. Japan Standard Time at the launch site.

/snip

JAXA's Epsilon rocket is a three-stage rocket that stands 78 feet (24 meters) tall and is solid propellant. The rocket weighs 91 tons and is designed to launch satellites weighing up to 2,646 pounds (1,200 kilograms) into low-Earth orbit. The rocket's two upper stages are based on Japan's M-V rocket launch vehicle, which was retired in 2006.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Looks like this rocket is one step away from ICBM.

[TigerLikesRooster]

P!

[TigerLikesRooster]

P!

[yldstrk]

better to stop the launch than go forward and have a wreck

[sushiman]

” Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan “

Kyushu ..Kagoshima to be exact ...Just down the road apiece from where I be ...

[TigerLikesRooster]

Can you take a picture when it finally goes up and post it on FR? That would be great.

[null and void]

That was Debt of Honor, wasn’t it?

[miele man]

Too bad they cannot fire this one over North Korea and give Jr. a thrill and a taste of his own medicine.

[ThunderSleeps]

If it can loft 2600 lb of payload into LEO, it is entirely capable of delivering that much mass (or more) anywhere in the world. 2600 lb is plenty, p-l-e-n-t-y of weight budget for a first generation nuclear weapon and RV.

I have no doubt, none, that the Japanese could build a nuclear weapon any time they choose to, and that they have at their disposal the means of delivering it to their enemies. I'm sure the North Korean intel agencies have much more motivation to watch these developments and much better information. NK would do well to consider just how much they want to anger their neighbor...