Weibel radar in play for JAXA rocket launch

February 06, 2023

Weibel has been part of JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) rocket launches on the Island Tanegashima, in the south of Japan since the delivery of our 45 dB 640W radar back in 2013. On January 26, our radar was the ”Primary Sensor” during the launches, where we undertake an important role in connection with Range Safety. If the rocket moves out of its projected trajectory, it will be destroyed!

The rocket was of the type H-IIA (H-2A), is 53 meter high and has a diameter of 4 meter, and has been delivered to JAXA by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Everything went according to schedule after take-off on January 26, at 01:50:21 UTC, and our radar tracked the rocket to more than a 500 kilometer distance. The weather was so clear that the IR-camera mounted on our radar could see the heat radiation from the rocket at the same distance.