Japan Succeeded Launching Rocket Loading Satellite

Japan National Aeronautics and Space Development Administration (NASDA) succeeded in launching the improved second new rocket H2A from Tanegashima space center on the 4th at 11:45 AM and to make at least one of loaded test satellites to enter the earth’s orbit.

The other satellite`s division was not identified until the afternoon.

Because of this, there are mixed response such as `probable success` or "it is only half success and it will give bad effect to Japan`s launching of commercial artificial satellite business."

Japan succeeded launching the first H2A last August, but this is the first launching of a rocket loaded with a test satellite.

Two of the test satellite are to re-enter the atmosphere for examination of semi-conductor`s durability in space.

If it had succeeded, Japan would have joined the commercial artificial satellite business, reducing 10,600million yen of launching expenditure (excluding manufacturing expenditure of artificial satellite) to 8,500 million yen.

NASDA finished the test by this launch and plans to launch 9 rockets loaded with army, environment, and weather satellites by 2006 year following the plan.

The second rocket of H2A is the second stage rocket, which weighs 350t; the total length is 57 m, diameter 4m and uses liquid hydrogen as fuel.

It had improved fuel jet device of failed H2 rocket and equipped America`s assistant rocket 4 which uses solid fuel for the first time so that propulsion power became high from 3.7t of first rocket of H2A to 4.6t.

Artificial Satellite `MDS1` which was identified entering orbit after division, after 46 minutes of launching rocket will circle around earth for 1 year at a height of 3600km and send data such as semiconductor`s durability in space to earth.

ksshim@donga.com