H Series Data

Josh Hopkins

Vehicle        |     Payload  kg  (lbs)   |  Reliability  | Price
(nation)       |  LEO      Polar    GEO   |               |
----------------------------------------------------------------------

H series                                    12/12 100%
(Japan)
  H-2          10,500    6600      4000    3/3               $160m
              (23,000) (14,500)   (8800)

The H-2 is the first Japanese launch vehicle to be entirely developed domestically. Previous N series and H-1 vehicles used Delta components. The H-2 is designed to carry heavy payloads to orbit and has worked well so far. However, it is unlikely to be commercially attractive in the near future, due to high costs and low flight rates. NASDA hopes to cut costs by as much as 50% by the turn of the century, in part by simplifying the design and including some foreign components. The H-2 is the cornerstone of NASDA's plans for increasing activities in space, including eventual human missions.