H-IIA F37 - GCOM-C1 & SLATS

Launch Date: December 23, 2017

Window: 01:26:22 - 01:48:22 UTC

Launch Site: Tanegashima Space Center

Launch Vehicle: H-IIA 202

Payload: GCOM-C1 (1,950kg), SLATS (400kg)

Ascent Duration: 1 Hour & 48 Minutes

Target Orbit: 788 x 806km, 98.68° (GCOM), 450 x 643 km, 98.3° (SLATS)

Japan's H-IIA rocket is set for liftoff from the picturesque Tanegashima Space Center on Saturday, December 23 on a dual-satellite delivery mission targeting two different orbits. Hidden under the vehicle's payload fairing is the 1,950-Kilogram GCOM-C1 Global Change Observation Mission for Climate spacecraft outfitted with a 19-channel imaging instrument to study Earth's carbon cycle and radiation budget over an extended time scale relevant for climate assessments.

After sending GCOM-C1 on its way 800 Kilometers in altitude, H-IIA will be tasked with lowering its orbit to deploy the Super-Low Altitude Test Satellite for a mission orbiting on the edge.