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NASDA, Japan
2002/12/10

Y-3 (L-3) Countdown Operations Start
  -- 4 days before a launch --
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On Dec. 10, launch operations three days prior to launch (called "Y-3 
(L-3) countdown operations") began for H-IIA F4 with ADEOS-II and 
three microsatellites in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the 
Tanegashima Space Center.

NASDA names a launch time "X" time (or X-0, X minus zero)", and a 
launch day "Y-0 (Y minus zero)". The launch day and time for H-IIA F4 
are scheduled to be at 10:31 a.m. on Dec 14 (Japan Time), thus Y-0 is 
the 14th, and X-0 is 10:31 a.m. The launch site operation schedule is 
based on those two zeros.  Y-0 operations are often scheduled for two 
days depending on X-0 time. In the case of H-II F4, X-0 is 10:31 a.m., 
hence Y-0 operations start at dawn of the 13th to the 14th.

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