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H-IIA 2024

Launch vehicle · Japan

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

Japanese orbital launch vehicle. Three 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 a 300 km orbit at 30.40 degrees. Payload: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) to a GTO. Development Cost $: 800.000 million. Launch Price $: 90.000 million in 1999 dollars in 1999 dollars.

More at: H-IIA 2024.

Related

Country
Japan

Chronology

7 events

2002 February 4

02:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: Tanegashima Y. LV Family: H-2. Launch Vehicle: H-IIA 2024.
  • MDS-1 - . Mass: 304 kg (670 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: MDS. USAF Sat Cat: 27367 . COSPAR: 2002-003A. Apogee: 35,753 km (22,215 mi). Perigee: 373 km (231 mi). Inclination: 28.30 deg. Period: 633.80 min.

    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.

  • DASH - . Mass: 70 kg (154 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: DASH 2002. USAF Sat Cat: 27368 . COSPAR: 2002-003B. Apogee: 35,778 km (22,231 mi). Perigee: 357 km (221 mi). Inclination: 28.30 deg. Period: 634.00 min.

    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.

2002 September 10

08:20 GMT - . Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: Tanegashima Y. LV Family: H-2. Launch Vehicle: H-IIA 2024.
  • USERS - . Mass: 1,726 kg (3,805 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Manufacturer: Mitsubishi. Class: Materials. Type: Materials science satellite. Spacecraft: USERS. Decay Date: 2007-06-15 . USAF Sat Cat: 27515 . COSPAR: 2002-042A. Apogee: 508 km (315 mi). Perigee: 497 km (308 mi). Inclination: 30.40 deg. Period: 94.70 min.

    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.

  • Kodama - . Payload: DRTS-W. Mass: 2,800 kg (6,100 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Manufacturer: Mitsubishi. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: DS2000. USAF Sat Cat: 27516 . COSPAR: 2002-042B. Apogee: 35,804 km (22,247 mi). Perigee: 35,770 km (22,220 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    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.

2003 March 28

01:27 GMT - . Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: Tanegashima Y. LV Family: H-2. Launch Vehicle: H-IIA 2024.
  • IGS-1a - . Mass: 850 kg (1,870 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: IGS. Decay Date: 2014-07-18 . USAF Sat Cat: 27698 . COSPAR: 2003-009A. Apogee: 495 km (307 mi). Perigee: 483 km (300 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. Period: 94.20 min.

    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 - . Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS. Decay Date: 2012-07-26 . USAF Sat Cat: 27699 . COSPAR: 2003-009B. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). Perigee: 489 km (303 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. Period: 94.20 min. Radar satellite..

2003 November 29

04:33 GMT - . Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: Tanegashima Y. LV Family: H-2. Launch Vehicle: H-IIA 2024. FAILURE: Destroyed by range safety after solid booster nozzle burn-through resulted in motor not separating from core.. Failed Stage: 0.
  • IGS-2a - . Mass: 850 kg (1,870 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: IGS. 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 - . Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS.

2006 February 18

06:27 GMT - . Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: Tanegashima Y. LV Family: H-2. Launch Vehicle: H-IIA 2024.
  • MTSAT-2 - . Payload: MT-Sat 2. Mass: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: MLIT. Manufacturer: Mitsubishi. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: DS2000. USAF Sat Cat: 28937 . COSPAR: 2006-004A. Apogee: 35,803 km (22,246 mi). Perigee: 35,771 km (22,227 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    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.

2007 February 24

04:41 GMT - . Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: Tanegashima Y. LV Family: H-2. Launch Vehicle: H-IIA 2024.
  • IGS 2 - . Payload: IGS 4A. Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: CSICE, JAXA. Manufacturer: Melco. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian Radarsat. Spacecraft: IGS. Decay Date: 2014-04-13 . USAF Sat Cat: 30586 . COSPAR: 2007-005A. 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 - . Payload: IGS 4B. Mass: 850 kg (1,870 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: CSICE, JAXA. Manufacturer: Melco. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: IGS. Decay Date: 2013-11-12 . USAF Sat Cat: 30587 . COSPAR: 2007-005B.

    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.

2008 February 23

08:55 GMT - . Launch Site: Tanegashima. LV Family: H-2. Launch Vehicle: H-IIA 2024.
  • Kizuna - . Payload: WINDS. Mass: 2,700 kg (5,900 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Kizuna. USAF Sat Cat: 32500 . COSPAR: 2008-007A. Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    WINDS, the Wide-band Internetworking Engineering Test and Demonstration Satellite, was designed to demonstrate delivery of high bandwidth Ka-band Internet service to remote areas of Japan and Southeast Asia from geostationary orbit at 143 deg E. Users with a small 45 cm in diameter antenna could receive data at up to 155 Mbps and transmit data at up to 6 Mbps.