H-2 - H-2 - COSPAR 1994-007 21,293 bytes. 121 x 471 pixels.

Launches: 7. Failures: 2. Success Rate: 71.43% pct. First Launch Date: 03 February 1994. Last Launch Date: 15 November 1999. LEO Payload: 10,060 kg. to: 200 km Orbit. at: 30.4 degrees. Payload: 3,930 kg. to a: Geosynchronous transfer trajectory. Liftoff Thrust: 405,000 kgf. Total Mass: 260,000 kg. Core Diameter: 4.0 m. Total Length: 49.0 m. Development Cost $: 2,300.00 million. in 1998 average dollars. Launch Price $: 190.00 million. in 1994 price dollars. Cost comments: Development cost includes $ 800 million spent on LE-7 engine development.

• Stage Number: 0. 2 x H-2-0 Gross Mass: 70,400 kg. Empty Mass: 11,250 kg. Thrust (vac): 157,036 kgf. Isp: 273 sec. Burn time: 94 sec. Isp(sl): 237 sec. Diameter: 1.8 m. Span: 1.8 m. Length: 23.4 m. Propellants: Solid No Engines: 1. H-2-0

• Stage Number: 1. 1 x H-2-1 Gross Mass: 98,100 kg. Empty Mass: 11,900 kg. Thrust (vac): 109,925 kgf. Isp: 446 sec. Burn time: 346 sec. Isp(sl): 349 sec. Diameter: 4.0 m. Span: 4.0 m. Length: 28.0 m. Propellants: Lox/LH2 No Engines: 1. LE-7

• Stage Number: 2. 1 x H-2-2 Gross Mass: 16,700 kg. Empty Mass: 2,700 kg. Thrust (vac): 12,390 kgf. Isp: 452 sec. Burn time: 600 sec. Diameter: 4.0 m. Span: 4.0 m. Length: 10.6 m. Propellants: Lox/LH2 No Engines: 1. LE-5A

• OREX Spacecraft: OREX. Payload: Ryusei. Mass: 865 kg.

  Orbital Reentry Experiment. Orbital Re-entry Experiment Vehicle (OREX) Ryusei. Acquisition of data related to atmospheric reentry. Launch vehicle H-II rocket test flight H-II 1F. Launching organization NASDA. Launch time 2220:00 UT.

• VEP Spacecraft: VEP. Payload: Myojo / LAPS. Mass: 2,391 kg.

  Vehicle Evaluation Payload; monitored H-2 performance. Vehicle Evaluation Payload (VEP) MYOJO. Provides a ranging function as well as functions to measure the acceleration and deformation, in order to confirm the accuracy of the H-II rocket orbit injection and understand the environment of the payload equipme nt. Launch vehicle H-II rocket test flight H-II 1F. Launching organization NASDA. Launch time 2220:00 UT.

• Kiku 6 Spacecraft: ETS. Payload: ETS 6. Mass: 3,800 kg.

  Failed to reach geostationary orbit; Engineering Test Satellite; partial mission success. Also tested ion engines for NSSK.

• Himawari 5 Spacecraft: GMS. Payload: GMS 5. Mass: 746 kg.

  Geostationary Meteorological Satellite; carried search and rescue package. Stationed at 140.2 deg E.

• SFU Spacecraft: SFU. Mass: 4,000 kg.

  Space Flyer Unit; carried materials, astronomy, biological experiments; retrieved by STS-72 1/20/96.

• ADEOS Spacecraft: ADEOS.

• JAS-2 Spacecraft: Fuji.

  Japanese amateur radio satellite.

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H-2 Liftoff Credit: NASDA. 11,299 bytes. 138 x 300 pixels.

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• TRMM Spacecraft: TRMM.

• Hikoboshi Spacecraft: ETS-7. Payload: ETS-7.

  The Orihime and Hikoboshi satellites undocked and redocked on July 7 1998 in the FP-1 test of automated docking systems. Despite claims of the NASDA space agency that this is a first, automated Russian craft have docked on many occasions since the Kosmos-186/188 docking in 1968.

• Orihime Spacecraft: ETS-7 Target. Payload: ETS-7 Target.

  Attached to Hikoboshi. It would later separate and serve as a passive docking target for the Hikobishi active automatic docking technology spacecraft.

• Kakehashi Spacecraft: Kakehashi. Payload: COMETS.

  Kakehashi, meaning 'Bridge', was called Communuications and Broadcasting Experimental Test Satellite (COMETS) before launch. It contained Ka-band communications and inter-satellite data relay payloads. Premature shutdown 44 seconds into the H-II second stage second burn put the satellite into a much lower than planned orbit. The on-board Unified Propulsion System was used to raise it to a more useful orbit.

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  H-2 Cutaway view Credit: NASDA. 25,477 bytes. 480 x 160 pixels.

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• MTSAT Spacecraft: FS-1300.

  Multi-functional Transportation Satellite intended to provide communications and air traffic control for the Japanese transportation ministry and a meteorological data for the Japanese Meteorological Agency. The spacecraft had a mass of 1223 kg dry and was a follow-on to the GMS (Himawari) weather satellite series.

• 42 - Isakowitz, Steven J,, International Reference to Space Launch Systems Second Edition, AIAA, Washington DC, 1991.
• 61 - Wilson, Andrew, editor,, Jane's/Interavia Space Directory, Jane's Information Group, Coulsdon, Surrey, 1992 et al.
• 455 - Isakowitz, Steven J,, International Reference to Space Launch Systems Third Edition, AIAA, Washington DC, 2000.