H-2

Low-cost version of H-2 developed for the commercial market. The two SRB-A solid rocket boosters can be supplemented by 4 smaller SSB solid boosters. 0 or 2 SSB's can be fitted for reduced 9,940 kg or 10,740 kg LEO payloads.

Manufacturer: Mitsubishi. Launches: 12. Failures: 1. Success Rate: 91.67%. First Launch Date: 2001-08-29. Last Launch Date: 2007-02-24. Launch data is: continuing. LEO Payload: 11,730 kg (25,860 lb). to: 300 km Orbit. at: 30.40 degrees. Payload: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb). to a: Geosynchronous transfer trajectory. Associated Spacecraft: DASH 2002, IGS, LRE, MDS, USERS, VEP. Other Associated Spacecraft: NASDA H-2 Transfer Vehicle. Liftoff Thrust: 4,680.000 kN (1,052,100 lbf). Total Mass: 289,000 kg (637,000 lb). Core Diameter: 4.00 m (13.10 ft). Total Length: 49.00 m (160.00 ft). Development Cost $: 800.000 million. in: 1999 average dollars. Launch Price $: 90.000 million. in: 1999 price dollars. Cost comments: The H-2A 202 (no SSB's) is priced at $ 75 million, and the H-2A 2022 (2 SSB's) at $ 80 million.

3 stage version of H-IIA consisting of 2 x H-II SRB-A + two-stage core vehicle.

LEO Payload: 10,000 kg (22,000 lb). Payload: 4,100 kg (9,000 lb). to a: geosynchronous transfer orbit trajectory. Apogee: 40,000 km (24,000 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 5,600.000 kN (1,258,900 lbf). Total Mass: 285,000 kg (628,000 lb). Core Diameter: 4.00 m (13.10 ft). Total Length: 53.00 m (173.00 ft).

3 stage vehicle consisting of 4 x Castor 4XL + 2 x H-II SRB-A boosters + two-stage core vehicle.

LEO Payload: 11,730 kg (25,860 lb). to: 300 km Orbit. at: 30.40 degrees. Payload: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb). to a: Geosynchronous transfer trajectory. Liftoff Thrust: 4,680.000 kN (1,052,100 lbf). Total Mass: 289,000 kg (637,000 lb). Core Diameter: 4.00 m (13.10 ft). Total Length: 49.00 m (160.00 ft). Development Cost $: 800.000 million. in: 1999 average dollars. Launch Price $: 90.000 million. in: 1999 price dollars. Cost comments: The H-2A 202 (no SSB's) is priced at $ 75 million, and the H-2A 2022 (2 SSB's) at $ 80 million.

• Stage Number: 0. 2 x Stage: H-2A SRB-A. Gross Mass: 76,400 kg (168,400 lb). Empty Mass: 10,400 kg (22,900 lb). Thrust (vac): 2,250.000 kN (505,820 lbf). Isp: 280 sec. Burn time: 101 sec. Isp(sl): 230 sec. Diameter: 2.50 m (8.20 ft). Span: 2.50 m (8.20 ft). Length: 15.20 m (49.80 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: SRB-A. Status: In production. Shorter monolithic motor using filament-wound case technology from Thiokol. Version for J-1 has 1,000 kg less propellant and 1,200 kg less empty mass.

• Stage Number: 1. 2 x Stage: H-2A SSB. Gross Mass: 15,200 kg (33,500 lb). Empty Mass: 2,100 kg (4,600 lb). Thrust (vac): 626.600 kN (140,865 lbf). Isp: 283 sec. Burn time: 60 sec. Diameter: 1.00 m (3.20 ft). Span: 1.00 m (3.20 ft). Length: 14.90 m (48.80 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: Castor 4AXL. Status: In production. Provides supplemental thrust for H-2 or H-2A.

• Stage Number: 2. 2 x Stage: H-2A SSB. Gross Mass: 15,200 kg (33,500 lb). Empty Mass: 2,100 kg (4,600 lb). Thrust (vac): 626.600 kN (140,865 lbf). Isp: 283 sec. Burn time: 60 sec. Diameter: 1.00 m (3.20 ft). Span: 1.00 m (3.20 ft). Length: 14.90 m (48.80 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: Castor 4AXL. Status: In production. Provides supplemental thrust for H-2 or H-2A.

• Stage Number: 3. 1 x Stage: H-2A-1. Gross Mass: 113,600 kg (250,400 lb). Empty Mass: 13,600 kg (29,900 lb). Thrust (vac): 1,098.000 kN (246,840 lbf). Isp: 440 sec. Burn time: 390 sec. Isp(sl): 338 sec. Diameter: 4.00 m (13.10 ft). Span: 4.00 m (13.10 ft). Length: 37.20 m (122.00 ft). Propellants: Lox/LH2. No Engines: 1. Engine: LE-7A. Status: In production. Can be throttled to 72% thrust.

• Stage Number: 4. 1 x Stage: H-2A-2. Gross Mass: 19,600 kg (43,200 lb). Empty Mass: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb). Thrust (vac): 137.000 kN (30,798 lbf). Isp: 447 sec. Burn time: 534 sec. Diameter: 4.00 m (13.10 ft). Span: 4.00 m (13.10 ft). Length: 9.20 m (30.10 ft). Propellants: Lox/LH2. No Engines: 1. Engine: LE-5B. Status: In production. Lower cost version of H-2 second stage.

2001 August 29 - 07:00 GMT - Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: Y. Launch Pad: Y. Launch Vehicle: H-2A. Model: H-IIA 202. LV Configuration: H-IIA 202 H-IIA-1F.

• LRE Nation: Japan. Mass: 3,500 kg (7,700 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Geodesy. Spacecraft: LRE. Agency: NASDA (Japan). Perigee: 271 km (168 mi). Apogee: 36,214 km (22,502 mi). Inclination: 28.00 deg. COSPAR: 2001-038A. USAF Sat Cat: 26898. Launch postponed from february, July 22 and August 25. First launch of the H-2A launch vehicle. A failure after all of the problems with the earlier H-2 version would probably have resulted in cancellation of the program. The Laser Ranging Experiment satellite carried 126 laser retro reflectors and separated from the second stage at 0739 GMT into its operational 'Molniya' type orbit. The eventual goal of H-2A was to launch geosynchronous spacecraft at costs comparable to those of other countries. The LRE remained in a simulated geosynchronous transfer orbit; laser reflections from it would be used to precisely ascertain the orbital injection accuracy of the H-2A.References: 4, 296.

• VEP-2 Nation: Japan. Mass: 3,500 kg (7,700 lb). Class: Technology. Spacecraft: VEP. Agency: NASDA (Japan). Perigee: 291 km (180 mi). Apogee: 35,979 km (22,356 mi). Inclination: 28.60 deg. Period: 636.60 min. COSPAR: 2001-038B. USAF Sat Cat: 26899. Vehicle Evaluation Payload-2 consisted of ballast and monitoring instrumentation that remained attached to the launch vehicle's second stage. It included a Doppler ranging experiment for orbit determination. References: 4, 296, 552, 554.

• MDS-1 Nation: Japan. Mass: 304 kg (670 lb). Class: Technology. Spacecraft: MDS. Agency: NASDA (Japan). Perigee: 373 km (231 mi). Apogee: 35,753 km (22,215 mi). Inclination: 28.30 deg. Period: 633.80 min. COSPAR: 2002-003A. USAF Sat Cat: 27367. Technology qualification flight - maiden flight of H-2A booster. Launch delayed from January 31 and February 3. The second stage began its first burn at 0251 UTC and at 0257 UTC entered a 500 km circular parking orbit. After a 12 minute coast the second burn put stage 2 in geostationary transfer orbit. At 0315 UTC the small DASH vehicle was meant to separate from the upper adapter, but this apparently did not occur. At 0325 UTC VEP-3/upper adapter/DASH combination separated from the second stage, followed by two semi-cylindrical side panels, revealing the previously enclosed MDS-1 technology satellite which was ejected at 0331 UTC. At 0425 UTC the second stage was scheduled to make a third burn to test engine restart, completing the H-2A-2F mission.References: 4, 552, 554.

• DASH Nation: Japan. Mass: 70 kg (154 lb). Class: Technology. Spacecraft: DASH 2002. Agency: NASDA (Japan). Perigee: 357 km (221 mi). Apogee: 35,778 km (22,231 mi). Inclination: 28.30 deg. Period: 634.00 min. COSPAR: 2002-003B. USAF Sat Cat: 27368. The VEP-3 launch instrumentation package mounted on top of the DASH had a mass of 33 kg. The side adapter panels were halves of a 4.1m long 4.0m diameter cylinder. DASH (Demonstrator of Atmospheric Reentry System and Hypervelocity) was to test the reentry system for the MUSES-C asteroid probe. The plan was to fire the deorbit motor three days after launch, then separate the reentry capsule which would enter the Earth's atmosphere at 10 km/s and land in the Hodh el Gharbi region of Mauritania at about 8.5W 17.2N. Typical satellite reentries are at only 7.5 km/s, while hyperbolic (escape) velocity at the top of the atmosphere is over 11 km/s, so DASH would have been travelling much faster than typical reentry vehicles, but not quite at escape velocity.References: 4, 552, 554.

• USERS Nation: Japan. Mass: 1,726 kg (3,805 lb). Class: Materials. Spacecraft: USERS. Agency: NASDA (Japan). Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Electric. Perigee: 497 km (308 mi). Apogee: 508 km (315 mi). Inclination: 30.40 deg. Period: 94.70 min. COSPAR: 2002-042A. USAF Sat Cat: 27515. Launch delayed from August 2002. First operational flight of H-2A booster. USERS (Unmanned Space Experiment Recovery System) was a Japanese microgravity experimental satellite. After 8.5 months in orbit, a reentry vehicle was to be returned to earth with the materials manufacturered in space.References: 4, 552, 554.

• DRTS Nation: Japan. Payload: Kodama (DRTS-W). Mass: 2,800 kg (6,100 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: DRTS. Agency: NASDA (Japan). Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Electric. Perigee: 35,770 km (22,220 mi). Apogee: 35,804 km (22,247 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2002-042B. USAF Sat Cat: 27516. Launch delayed from August 2002. First operational flight of H-2A booster. DRTS (Data Relay Transponder Satellite) was a Japanese geostationary communications spacecraft which was to relay images and data procured by the to-be-launched ADEOS 2 and ALOS satellites, and the KIBO module on ISS, after being parked over 90° E. However the engine failed after a couple of burns. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 90.76E drifting at 0.005W degrees per day.References: 4, 552, 554.

• Adeos 2 Nation: Japan. Payload: Midori 2. Mass: 3,730 kg (8,220 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Landsat. Spacecraft: Adeos. Agency: NASDA (Japan). Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Electric. Perigee: 804 km (499 mi). Apogee: 806 km (500 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 101.00 min. COSPAR: 2002-056A. USAF Sat Cat: 27597. Environment Monitoring, Aeronomy. References: 4, 552, 554.

• Mu-Labsat Nation: Japan. Mass: 65 kg (143 lb). Class: Technology. Agency: NASDA. Manufacturer: NASDA. Perigee: 793 km (492 mi). Apogee: 806 km (500 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 100.90 min. COSPAR: 2002-056B. USAF Sat Cat: 27598. Technology. In 2003 the satellite released two tiny subsatellites in an experiment to test an onboard tracking imager for inspector satellites. The RITE (Remote Inspection Technology Experiment) targets are disks about 0.1m in diameter. They were released from Micro-LabSat on 2003 Mar 14 at 0140 UTC and 2003 May 14 at 0150 UTCReferences: 4, 552, 554.

• FedSat Nation: Australia. Mass: 58 kg (127 lb). Class: Communications. Agency: Centre for Satellite Systems (Australia). Manufacturer: Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems. Perigee: 791 km (491 mi). Apogee: 805 km (500 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 100.80 min. COSPAR: 2002-056C. USAF Sat Cat: 27599. FedSat contained high-tech communication, space science, navigation and computing equipment and was intended to help bring broadband Internet services to remote parts of Australia. Data from its three-year mission was to be shared between Japan and Australia.References: 4, 552, 554.

• WEOS Kanta-Kun Nation: Japan. Mass: 50 kg (110 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Landsat. Agency: Chiba Institute of Technology (Japan). Manufacturer: Chiba Institute of Technology (Japan). Perigee: 789 km (490 mi). Apogee: 804 km (499 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 100.80 min. COSPAR: 2002-056D. USAF Sat Cat: 27600. Ecology. References: 4, 552, 554.

• IGS-1a Nation: Japan. Mass: 850 kg (1,870 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: IGS. Perigee: 483 km (300 mi). Apogee: 495 km (307 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. Period: 94.20 min. COSPAR: 2003-009A. USAF Sat Cat: 27698. Optical reconnaisance satellite. First Japanese military space mission. Dual payload. Delayed from February 2003. The Tanegashima facility was under strict security, guarded by 400 police officers wearing bullet-proof vests. Waters near the pad were patrolled by the coast guard.

• IGS-1b Nation: Japan. Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS. Perigee: 489 km (303 mi). Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. Period: 94.20 min. COSPAR: 2003-009B. USAF Sat Cat: 27699. Radar satellite.

• IGS-2a Nation: Japan. Mass: 850 kg (1,870 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: IGS. COSPAR: F20031129A. The launch failure meant that Japan's planned intelligence satellite constellation was crippled. The system was already in trouble due to the reported poor performance of the first two elements launched.

• IGS-2b Nation: Japan. Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS. COSPAR: F20031129B.

• Himawari 6 Nation: Japan. Payload: MT-Sat 1R. Mass: 3,300 kg (7,200 lb). Class: Meteorology. Spacecraft: FS-1300. Agency: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Manufacturer: Space Systems/Loral. Perigee: 35,778 km (22,231 mi). Apogee: 35,798 km (22,243 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min. COSPAR: 2005-006A. USAF Sat Cat: 28622. Return to flight after earlier failure; first commercial mission for H-2A. Delayed from August 2003, January 2004, and February 24, 2005. The dual-purpose satellite was to provide weather data for the Japanese Meteorological Agency (as with others in the Himawari-GMS series), and air traffic control support (airplane-ATC voice/data links, GPS augmentation and airplane position tracking) for the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 140.26E drifting at 0.000E degrees per day.

• Daichi Nation: Japan. Payload: ALOS-1. Mass: 3,850 kg (8,480 lb). Class: Surveillance. Agency: JAXA. Manufacturer: NEC Toshiba. Perigee: 693 km (430 mi). Apogee: 697 km (433 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.70 min. COSPAR: 2006-002A. USAF Sat Cat: 28931. Advanced Land Observing Satellite, which carried an L-band synthetic aperture radar, an optical 2.5-meter resolution mapping camera, and a 10-meter resolution visible/near-infrared radiometer.

• MTSAT-2 Nation: Japan. Payload: MT-Sat 2. Mass: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb). Class: Meteorology. Spacecraft: DS2000. Agency: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Manufacturer: Mitsubishi. Perigee: 35,771 km (22,227 mi). Apogee: 35,803 km (22,246 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2006-004A. USAF Sat Cat: 28937. Multifunctional Transport Satellite. An aeronautical payload provided communications relay between aircraft and air traffic control; GPS augmentation navigation for aircraft; and transmitted the location of aircraft to air traffic control. A Japan Advanced Meteorological Imager weather camera had one visible and four infrared channels. MTSAT-2 was built by Mitsubishi using the new DS2000 bus. As of 2007 Mar 8 located at 144.93E drifting at 0.016W degrees per day.

• IGS-3A Nation: Japan. Mass: 850 kg (1,870 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: IGS. Agency: JIDF. Manufacturer: Melco. Perigee: 484 km (300 mi). Apogee: 491 km (305 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. COSPAR: 2006-037A. USAF Sat Cat: 29393. Information Gathering Satellite / Optical-2 military surveillance satellite, launched to replace IGS O-1 launched in 2003, which demonstrated technical problems. The first replacement, IGS-O-2, was lost in a launch failure in 2003.

• Kiku 8 Nation: Japan. Payload: ETS-8. Mass: 5,817 kg (12,824 lb). Class: Technology. Spacecraft: ETS. Agency: JAXA. Manufacturer: Melco. Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Apogee: 35,798 km (22,243 mi). Inclination: 0.0500 deg. Period: 1,436.11 min. COSPAR: 2006-059A. USAF Sat Cat: 29656. Engineering Test Satellite-8 was a Japanese prototype/operational demonstration for a number of new technologies: a large satellite bus, large-scale deployable 40-m-span antennae, mobile satellite communications system, mobile satellite digital multimedia broadcasting, and basic positioning using high-accuracy time standard devices. It will be positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 146 degrees East. JAXA developed two portable terrestrial systems to communicate directly with the satellite - a tiny telephone and a portable laptop computer. The satellite was to have a lifetime of ten years. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 145.97E drifting at 0.010W degrees per day.

• IGS-2 Nation: Japan. Payload: IGS 4A. Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS. Agency: JAXA/CSICE. Manufacturer: Melco. COSPAR: 2007-005A. USAF Sat Cat: 30586. Information Gathering Satellite Radar-2. Japanese military satellite using a synthetic aperture radar for all-weather, 24-hour, high-resolution surveillance of the earth.

• IGS-3V Nation: Japan. Payload: IGS 4B. Mass: 850 kg (1,870 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: IGS. Agency: JAXA/CSICE. Manufacturer: Melco. COSPAR: 2007-005B. USAF Sat Cat: 30587. Optical-3 Verification Satellite, an experimental satellite on a six-month mission to test payloads planned for the Optical-3 second-generation Japanese military optical surveillance satellite. The production-type Optical-3 satellite was expected to launch in 2009.

• Kaguya Nation: Japan. Payload: Selene. Class: Planetary. Type: Lunar. Spacecraft: Kaguya. COSPAR: 2007-039A. USAF Sat Cat: 32054. Another of a series of new lunar probes to be launched in the next few years by China, India, Japan, USA, and Europe. Selene was dubbed Kaguya, a Japanese moon goddess, after launch. It included an HDTV camera. In lunar orbit two subsatellites would be released to provide continuous communications as well as better characterize the moon's gravity field. By 30 September Kaguya was in a 2243 km x 378,132 km lunar transfer orbit. On 3 October at 21:00 GMT it entered its initial 101 km x 11741 km x 95 deg lunar orbit. It then began maneuvers to enter its operational 100 km circular orbit, releasing the subsatellites on 9 and 12 October.

• Okina Nation: Japan. Payload: Selene. Class: Planetary. Type: Lunar. Spacecraft: Kaguya. COSPAR: 2007-039B. USAF Sat Cat: 32055. The Okina relay satellite was released from Kaguya into a 115 km x 2,399 km lunar orbit at 00:36 GMT on 9 October 2007.

• Ouna Nation: Japan. Payload: Selene. Class: Planetary. Type: Lunar. Spacecraft: Kaguya. COSPAR: 2007-039C. USAF Sat Cat: 32056. The Ouna (VRAD) subsatellite was released from Kaguya into a 127 km x 795 km lunar orbit at 04:28 GMT on 12 October 2007.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• Isakowitz, Steven J, Hopkins, Joshua B, and Hopkins, Joseph P, International Reference to Space Launch Systems, AIAA, Washington DC, 2004. ISBN: 156347591X. The best reference on launch vehicles ever produced. More at amazon.com...