SPACE.com -- Countdown in Progress for Japan's H-2A Rocket Launch Wednesday

Japan's H-2A rocket sits on its Tanegashima Space Center launch pad.
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	Countdown in Progress for Japan's H-2A Rocket Launch Wednesday By Kyodo News Service posted: 08:15 am ET 27 August 2001

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A countdown began Sunday for the scheduled launch Wednesday of an H-2A rocket after a previously scheduled launch was postponed due to an engine valve malfunction, the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) said.

Saturday had been the original launch date until the faulty parts were discovered Aug. 19.

The launch at Tanegashima Space Center on the islet of Tanegashima, located in Kagoshima Prefecture in southeastern Japan, is scheduled for 1 p.m. and can be carried out until 6 p.m. if there is a delay, according to the agency.

The H-2A rocket is an improved version of the trouble-prone H-2. Two H-2 launches, in February 1998 and November 1999, ended in failure.

Japan's survival in the space industry depends on a successful launch of the H-2A in light of its enormous development cost and the H-2 failures, agency officials said earlier.

Although the latest weather forecast for Wednesday has predicted intermittent rain, an agency official said, "There will be no problems for the launch as it is only a small amount of rain and wind."

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