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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 1610.PDF
HII: Japan's indigenous booster Japan has launched 38 satellites since entering the space age in 1970. Apart from the 17 science satellites launched on solid- propellant boosters, the larger applications satellites have needed combined US /Japanese boosters to get into orbit; indeed, three were launched from the US by Nasa. Breaking the mould will be the HII, Japan's first indigenous liquid propellant launcher. Tim Furniss profiles the vehicle that will first fly in four years time. At first sight, the HII looks like a slightly f-\ anorexic Ariane 5. It has a similar •*• •*• core stage, a single cryogenic first- stage engine, two solid-rocket booster (SRB) strap-ons, and is practically the same height. Ariane 5 weighs 500 tonnes at lift-off; the HII, 258 tonnes. Ariane 5 will be able to place 6 • 5 tonnes into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO); the HII, 4 tonnes. Whereas Ariane 5 will be, for the most part, a commer cial launcher, there is no certainty—only a suggestion—that the HII will be. If it does enter the commercial market, the HII will be competing with Ariane 44L for GTO business. The HII will be launched in 1992, at least three years before Ariane 5. Its primary function is to place Japanese national communications and other applications satellites and platforms into orbit. In addi tion, it would be the launcher for the unmanned Hope spaceplane, thereby con tinuing the country's autonomous space policy. The HII will also form the basis of a more powerful vehicle, capable of launching larger satellites and manned spaceplanes, and gaining Japanese manned autonomy in space during the 21st century. Although Japan is ostensibly running an autonomous programme, both in terms of the launchers and applications satellites, in fact it is not. The US Delta has launched three Japanese satellites from Cape Cana veral, and the others have been launched from Japan on NI, Nil, and HI vehicles based on the US Delta, with components built under licence in Japan. More recently, the HI incorporated the first Japanese cryogenic engine in the second stage as a step towards launcher autonomy. The HI, which has flown successfully three times, once without a solid-propellant third stage, 28 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 18 June 1988
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