Astro-E2 was successfully launched at 12:30 am JST (Japan Standard Time) on July 10, 2005 (11:30 pm EDT on July 9, 2005)! Through the contact at Santiago, Chile, halfway around the Earth, everything looks good!

Astro-E2 arrived safely to the launch site of Uchinoura on May 23. It was connected to the 3rd stage of the rocket on June 19. Engineers installed the nose fairing (the structure that protects the satellite until it reaches space) on June 23. The satellite and the 3rd stage were installed on top of the second stage on June 27, completing the assembly of the M-V-6 launch vehicle. The rocket was rolled out into the launch position on July 1 for a communications check. The entire launch operations team participated in a launch rehearsal on July 3 - the simulation continued through all stage separations and the pass over the ground station in Santiago, Chile. The XRS team has topped up the liquid helium - it's now 92.2% full, which is enough to last 3 years in orbit.

The rocket, the satellite, and the instruments were ready for a July 6 launch, but the weather did not cooperate. They initially hoped to try again on July 8, but the weather continues to be bad. Since the XRS needs to be kept cool, they have performed the two-day procedure to refreeze the solid neon and top up the liquid helium.

See also:

• The XRS Road Trip - the journey from US to Japan to space, as seen by the XRS.
• Kevin's Journal: Episode II - a personal account of the launch preparations.

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