Japan's H-II launched the COMETS (Kakehashi) experimental communications satellite to test Ka-band and inter-satellite relay links, but a shortened second-stage burn left it far short of its planned geostationary transfer orbit, requiring extensive recovery maneuvers.
- Outcome
- Partial
- Orbit
- Direct-GEO
- Geostationary orbit
- Payload to orbit
- 4 T
- Flight
- 6th
- of 7 H-II flights
- Date and time
- 21 February 1998, 07:55 UTC
- Rocket
- H-II
- Builder
- MHI
- Launch site
- Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-1, Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
- Payload
- Communications
- International designator
- 1998-011
- Launches in 1998
- 12th of 82
See it in orbit
Space Atlas shows the satellites and rocket stages from this launch in 3D.
View satellites in Space Atlas