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Delay of Astro-E2 Launch

It is quite unfortunate but we have to announce that Astro-E2 launch scheduled in February 2005 will be delayed.

It is not due to any problems in Astro-E2 or its launcher M-V-6, but due to the solid rocket booster (SRB) problem which caused the failure of the H-IIA-6 launch last year. Under a situation that the solid rocket team of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the industry partners have to share the tasks between the resumption of the SRB and the preparation of the M-V-6 launch, JAXA has decided to concentrate the whole resources to take necessary steps to launch an improved H-IIA rocket in this winter with enough confidence. JAXA will make the best efforts to launch Astro-E2 as early as possible in the next Japanese fiscal year. The integration test currently going on will be completed by December 2004 as has been scheduled and the satellite will be held at that stage until the new start of flight operation. The guest observer program (AO-1) planned to be started from September 2005 will have to be also delayed.

See the official statement from JAXA.

ISAS/JAXA Department of High Energy Astrophysics