H-IIA

Infobox rocket
name =H-IIA


caption =H-IIA rocket
imsize = 50
function =Launch vehicle
manufacturer =Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
country-origin =Japan
cpl-year =
cpl =
height =53 m
alt-height =173 ft
diameter =4 m
alt-diameter =13.1 ft
mass = 445,000 kg
alt-mass = 981,057 lb
stages = 2
LEO-payload = 10,000 - 15,000 kg
alt-LEO = 22,046 - 33,069 lb
payload-location = GTO
payload = 4,100 - 6,000 kg
alt-payload = 9,038 - 13,227 lb
status = Active
sites = LC-Y, Tanegashima
first=202: 29 August 2001
204: 18 December 2006
2022: 26 February 2005
2024: 4 February 2002
last=
launches =14
success =13
fail =1 (2024)
partial =
boosters =2 - 4
diff = H-IIA 2022/2024
boostername = Castor 4AXL
boosterengines =1 Solid
boosterthrust =745 kN
boosterSI =283 sec
boostertime =60 seconds
boosterfuel =Solid
alt-boosters =2 - 4
alt-diff =All Variants
alt-boostername =SRB-A
alt-boosterengines =1 Solid
alt-alt-boosterthrust =2,250 kN
alt-boosterSI =280 sec
alt-boostertime =120 seconds
alt-boosterfuel =Solid
stage1engines =1 LE-7A
stage1thrust =1,098 kN
alt-stage1thrust =246,840 lb_f
stage1SI =440 sec
stage1time =390 seconds
stage1fuel = LOX/LH2
stage2engines =1 LE-5B
stage2thrust =137 kN
alt-stage2thrust =30,798 lb_f
stage2SI =447 sec
stage2time =534 seconds
stage2fuel = LOX/LH2The H-IIA (H2A) is a family of liquid-fuelled rockets providing an expendable launch system for the purpose of launching satellites into geostationary orbit. It is manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA. Launches occur at the Tanegashima Space Center. On April 1, 2007, production and management of the H-IIA was shifted from JAXA to MHI. Flight 13 launching the lunar orbiter SELENE, was the first H-IIA launched after this privatization. [cite web |url=http://www.satnews.com/stories2007/4356/ |title=Mitsubishi and Arianespace Combine Commercial Satellite Launch Services |publisher=SatNews]

The H-IIA is a derivative of the earlier H-II rocket, though has been substantially redesigned to improve reliability and minimize costs, after the H-II proved to be expensive and failure-prone. There are four different variants of the H-IIA for various purposes.

History

The H-IIA was first launched on August 29, 2001, and the sixth launch on November 29, 2003 failed. The rocket was intended to launch two reconnaissance satellites to observe North KoreaFact|date=September 2007. JAXA announced that launches would resume in 2005, and indeed the first successful flight took place on February 26 with the launch of MTSAT-1R.

The first launch for a mission beyond Earth orbit was on September 14, 2007 for the SELENE moon mission. The first foreign payload on the H-IIA was the Australian FedSat-1 in 2002.

As of February 2008, 13 out of 14 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 is planned to fly in 2009.

Vehicle lineup

The launch capability of an H-IIA launch vehicle can be enhanced by adding SSBs (solid strap-on boosters) and other boosters to its basic configuration, creating a "family". The models are indicated by three or four numbers following the prefix "H2A". The first number in the sequence indicates the number of stages; the second the number of LRBs (liquid rocket boosters); the third the number of SRBs (solid rocket boosters); and, if present, the fourth number shows the number of SSBs.cite web |url=http://www.jaxa.jp/pr/brochure/pdf/01/rocket01.pdf |title=H-IIA Launch Vehicle |accessdate=2007-09-15 |format=PDF |publisher=JAXA |pages=2 ] The first two figures are virtually fixed at "20", as H-IIA is always two-staged, and the plans for LRBs were cancelled and superseded by the H-IIB. As of 2007 there are four different configurations shown in the following table.

Planned launches

The next planned launch of an H-IIA will carry the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT). Following that is a planned Quasi-Zenith Satellite System launch. [cite web |url=http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/h2a/index_e.html |title=H-IIA Launch Schedule |publisher=JAXA]

ee also

* Comparison of mid-heavy lift launch systems

References

*cite web|title=Japan Prepares for Crucial Rocket Launch|work=SPACE.com|url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/ap_jaxa_h2a_050209.html|accessdaymonth=16 February |accessyear=2005
*cite web|title=H-IIA Expendable Launch Vehicle|work=SPACEandTECH|url=http://www.spaceandtech.com/spacedata/elvs/h2a_sum.shtml|accessmonthday=February 16 |accessyear=2005

External links

* [http://h2a.mhi.co.jp/ H-IIA LAUNCH SERVICES]
* [http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/h2a/index_e.html JAXA H-IIA English page]
* [http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html JAXA English page]
* [http://www.jaxa.jp/missions/in_progress/index_e.html JAXA Launch Schedule]
* [http://www.jaxa.jp/about/centers/tnsc/index_e.html Tanegashima Space Center]
* [http://visit.jaxa.jp/tanegashima/index_e.html "Tanegashima Space Center"ndash VISIT JAXA --]
* [http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/h2a.htm Encyclopedia Astronautica page]
* [http://spaceflightnow.com/h2a/f6/ Failed Launch, 11-29-2003]
* [http://www.spaceflightnow.com/h2a/f2/020201rocket.html Image]
* [http://www.spaceflightnow.com/h2a/f3/020908rocket.html Launch 2 Image]