At 08:22 Beijing time on January 17, 2024 (09:22 Tokyo time on January 17, 2024), an H3 launch vehicle carrying the main payload VEP-4 analog payload and three payloads including the payload CE-SAT-1E and Tirsat small satellites was ignited and launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.16The CE-SAT-1E satellite was successfully launched into low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 674 km after 5 minutes, and the TIRSAT satellite was deployed 25 minutes later.
The main payload of this mission is Vehicle Evaluation Payload 4 (VEP-4), which is a metal column with the same mass and center of gravity as the first flight payload ALOS-3. Carrying the CE-SAT-1E payload is an imaging satellite manufactured by Canon Electronics, and Tirsat is a CubeSat.
H3 is a new generation of large launch vehicles launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), developed by Mitsubishi He**y Industries, using two-stage and two-and-a-half configurations, composed of the core first, core and solid boosters, and the first and second main power uses hydrogen-oxygen engines. The rocket uses three digits XYZ to represent different models of rockets, the first digit is the number of the first stage main engine LE-9 hydrogen-oxygen engine, including two configurations, the second digit is the number of solid boosters, including three configurations, and the third digit is the fairing specification, including short version (S) and long version (L) two specifications. Taking the H3-22S used in this mission as an example, the first stage is equipped with two engines, equipped with two solid boosters, and uses a short fairing (S).
The maximum height of the arrow is 63 meters (H3-22L H3-24L), and the diameter of the core stage is 527 meters, booster diameter 25 meters, (without load) maximum take-off mass 574 tons (H3-24L), optional diameter 52 meters, length 104 m short version fairing(s) and diameter 54 meters, length 16The 4-meter long fairing (L) has a maximum capacity of 7 in geosynchronous transfer orbit9 tons (H3-24S l). The H3-22S rocket is 57 meters long, has a take-off mass of 421 tons, and has a geosynchronous transfer orbit capacity of 54 tons.
The launch mission, called H3 Test Flight 2 (H3TF2), is the second flight of the H3 rocket. During the flight, the separation of the first and second stages, the ignition and operation of the second stage engine LE-5B-3 were normal, and the second stage was ignited after 1 hour and 47 minutes, which lasted for 26 seconds, and the main payload VEP-4 was successfully deployed.
This mission is the second launch of the H3 rocket. The H3 rocket's first mission ended in failure, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries spent months investigating the cause of the failure, and engineers concluded that when the rocket received the engine ignition command, the ignition system could not be activated due to an electrical failure. In response to the problem, Jaxa made design changes to prevent these situations from recurring. Potential problems with the ignition system also affected the old H-2A rocket, which used the same final stage engine. This grounded the H-2A for half a year and did not resume flights until September 2023.
According to the plan, the H3 rocket will be used to replace the H2A and H2B rockets. In order to reduce costs, the H3 rocket adopts a commercial development model, using a large number of components from the commercial planning department, and its minimum configuration (H3-30S) launch** is 5 billion yen (about 2.).3.9 billion yuan), about half of the H2A rocket. H3 is key to Japan's future space program and will be used for both civilian and military launch missions, including the delivery of the new cargo spacecraft HTV-X to the International Space Station.
This launch is the first launch of an H3 rocket in 2024, the second launch of Tanegashima Space Center, the second launch of Japan, and the 32nd launch of the world.
Author: Mulan Xingzhou.
February** Dynamic Incentive Program