JEM/SMILES launch
2009 Sept. 11
(Credit: JAXA)
JEM/SMILES payload was normally launched from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan, at 02:01:46, 11 Sept. (JST). JEM/SMILES is scheduled to be attached to the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) "KIBO" on 25 Sept.
The H-IIB rocket performed flawlessly, with it's trajectory matching the predicted flight path. The HTV vehicle separated from the rocket about 15 minutes after the lift-off, and is maneuvering toward a linkup with the International Space Station.
