H-IIA

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  Retired
  Never Flown
H-IIA
H IIA No. F23 with GPM on its way to the launchpad.jpg
H-IIA rolls out to the launch pad, February 2014
Function Medium-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Country of originJapan
Cost per launchUS$90 million [1]
Size
Height53 m (174 ft)
Diameter4 m (13 ft)
Mass285,000–445,000 kg (628,000–981,000 lb)
Stages2
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass10,000–15,000 kg (22,000–33,000 lb)
Success(es)
  • 49
    • 202: 35
    • 204: 5
    • 2022: 3
    • 2024: 6
First flight
  • 202: 29 August 2001
  • 204: 18 December 2006
  • 2022: 26 February 2005
  • 2024: 4 February 2002
Last flight
  • 202: 28 June 2025
  • 204: 22 December 2021
  • 2022: 14 September 2007
  • 2024: 23 February 2008
Carries passengers or cargo
Boosters – SRB-A
No. boosters2–4
Height15.1 m (50 ft)
Diameter2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Maximum thrust2,260 kN (510,000 lbf)
Total thrust4,520–9,040 kN (1,020,000–2,030,000 lbf)
Specific impulse 280 s (2.7 km/s)
Burn time120 seconds
Propellant HTPB
DesignationMass
t (lb)
Payload to GTO
t (lb)
Boosters
H2A 202285 (628,000)4.1 (9,000)2 × SRB-A (SRB)
H2A 2022 [5] 316 (697,000)4.5 (9,900)2 × SRB-A (SRB) + 2 × Castor 4AXL (SSB)
H2A 2024347 (765,000)5 (11,000)2 × SRB-A (SRB) + 4 × Castor 4AXL (SSB)
H2A 204445 (981,000)6 (13,000)4 × SRB-A (SRB)
H2A 212403 (888,000)7.5 (17,000)2 × SRB-A (SRB) + 1 × LRB [6] [7]
H2A 222520 (1,150,000)9.5 (21,000)2 × SRB-A (SRB) + 2 × LRBs [6]

Launch history

The first H-IIA was successfully launched on 29 August 2001, followed by a string of successes.

The sixth launch on 29 November 2003, intended to launch two IGS reconnaissance satellites, failed. JAXA announced that launches would resume in 2005, and the first successful flight took place on 26 February 2005 with the launch of MTSAT-1R.

The first launch for a mission beyond Earth orbit was on 14 September 2007 for the SELENE Moon mission. The first foreign payload on the H-IIA was the Australian FedSat-1 in 2002. As of March 2015, 27 out of 28 launches were successful.

A rocket with increased launch capabilities, H-IIB, is a derivative of the H-IIA family. H-IIB uses two LE-7A engines in its first stage, as opposed to one in H-IIA. The first H-IIB was successfully launched on 10 September 2009.

For the 29th flight on 24 November 2015, an H-IIA with an upgraded second stage [8] launched the Telstar 12V satellite, the first commercial primary payload for a Japanese launch vehicle. [9]

See also

References

Notes

  1. "Surplus Missile Motors: Sale Price Drives Potential Effects on DOD and Commercial Launch Providers". Government Accountability Office . 16 August 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  2. "Propulsion Products Catalog" (PDF). Northrop Grumman.
  3. "Mitsubishi and Arianespace Combine Commercial Satellite Launch Services". SatNews. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012.
  4. "H-IIA Launch Vehicle" (PDF). JAXA. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2007.
  5. "三菱重工、「H2A」2機種に半減・民営化でコスト減" [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries cuts "H2A" aircraft production by half to two models, privatization cuts costs]. Nikkei . Archived from the original on 5 January 2007.
  6. 1 2 "Japan Reenters Rocket Race With New Improved H2A". Space Daily. 20 August 2001. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  7. Krebs, Gunter D. "H-2A". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  8. "Launch Result of Telstar 12 VANTAGE by H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 29". JAXA. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  9. William Graham (23 November 2015). "Japanese H-IIA successfully lofts Telstar 12V". NASASpaceflight. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  10. "Launch Result of IGS #2/H-IIA F6". JAXA. 29 November 2003. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  11. "Launch Result of the IBUKI (GOSAT) by H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 15". MHI and JAXA. 23 January 2009. Archived from the original on 21 June 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  12. "H-IIA F16". Sorae. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012.
  13. "Launch Day of the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 17". JAXA. 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  14. "Overview of Secondary Payloads". JAXA.
  15. Tariq Malik (18 May 2010). "New Venus Probe to Launch Thursday From Japan After". space.com. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  16. Chris Bergin (17 May 2010). "JAXA launch H-IIA carrying AKATSUKI and IKAROS scrubbed". NASASpaceflight. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  17. "New Launch Day of the First Quasi-Zenith Satellite 'MICHIBIKI' by H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 18". JAXA.
  18. Chris Bergin (23 September 2011). "Japanese H-2A launches with new IGS military satellite". NASASpaceflight.
  19. Chris Bergin (11 December 2011). "Japanese H-2A lofts IGS (Radar-3) satellite into orbit". NASASpaceflight.
  20. "Launch Overview – H-IIA Launch Services Flight No.21". Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  21. Clark, Stephen (18 April 2016). "Attitude control failures led to break-up of Japanese astronomy satellite". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 21 April 2016.

Sources