H-IIA

Overview

The H-IIA was a highly reliable, large-sized expendable launch system developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and commercially operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) starting in 2007. It entered service in 2001 as Japan's mainstay rocket and completed its operations in 2025.

Technical Specifications

The vehicle is 53 meters long with a liftoff mass of 289 tonnes (without payload). It utilizes cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propulsion for its main stages and solid rocket boosters as auxiliary propulsion. Launch capacity varies by configuration: approximately 4 tonnes to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) and 10 tonnes to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Operational History

The H-IIA conducted 42 documented flights in the primary JAXA source, with a notable success rate. One failure occurred on flight F6 in 2003, resulting in the vehicle's destruction via ground command. The rocket launched significant scientific and commercial missions, including the Hayabusa2 probe, the Venus observer Akatsuki, and the UAE's Hope Mars mission.