Exactly at 2:03 pm on February 3, 2018 (Japan Standard Time) at the JAXA Uchinoura Space Center, JAXA experimented SS-520 No. 5 launch with a microsatellite TRICOM-1R aboard.

After liftoff, flight of SS-520 No. 5 proceeded normally. Around 7 minutes 30 seconds into flight, TRICOM-1R separated and was inserted into its target orbit.

SS-520 No. 5 launch experiment was the second attempt following the failure of SS-520 No. 4, which occurred in January 2017. Identification of the error and subsequent countermeasures resulted in the success of No.5 launch experiment. The No. 5 launch experiment was carried out to demonstrate the technology used for small satellite launcher.

SS-520 No. 5 launch experiment (2:03 p.m. on February 3, 2018 (JST))　© JAXA