Mitsubishi Heavy Industries resets ISS mission H-IIB rocket launch for September 24

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries resets ISS mission H-IIB rocket launch for September 24

4 years ago
Anonymous $RAvQk0gPh1

https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/20/mitsubishi-heavy-industries-resets-iss-mission-h-iib-rocket-launch-for-september-24/

After a setback last week due to a fire on the launch pad, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is ready to take another shot at its HTV-8 mission to deliver supplies and other payloads to the International Space Station. The launch was originally scheduled for September 11, but the fire caused a scrub and led to a subsequent investigation to determine the cause. The new window is an instantaneous one set for 1:30 AM JST on September 24 (12:30 PM/ 9:30 PM ET/PT on September 23).

The investigation has now revealed that the fire, which was extinguished and resulted in no lasting damage to the rocket or its cargo, was most likely caused by built-up static electricity created by oxygen dripping from the exhaust for tof the rocket engine during propellant feeling. MHI has taken the steps necessary to correct for this problem, and say that the rocket and launch facilities are now fully functional and ready to go for this renewed launch attempt.