Posted: Mon, Aug 20, 2001, 10:58 AM ET (1458 GMT)
A faulty valve may delay Saturday's inaugural launch of Japan's H-2A booster, according to a report published Monday. AFP reported that an oxygen valve in the booster failed and was being flown to a production center in central Japan for repairs or replacement. An approaching typhoon could also endanger the launch, currently scheduled for between 12 and 5 am (0400 and 0900 GMT) Saturday, August 25 from the Tanegashima Launch Center. The launch is the first for the H-2A, an upgraded version of the H-2 booster that was retired after two consecutive failures in 1998 and 1999. The H-2A's improvements include more powerful second-stage and solid-propellent strap-on engines and a simplified first-stage engine. The H-2A will carry a test payload.
