Technology:
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries successfully launched Japan’s domestic large rocket H2B-4 on
August 4. The unmanned transporter HTV-4 (called Stork by pet name) loaded on
this rocket entered the planned orbit and will get to the International Space Station (ISS) around August 9.
Successful launch of the H2B-4
The Stork transports foods and daily necessities for
astronauts, and Kirobo that is the humanoid robot jointly developed by Toyota
Motor and the University of Tokyo. The Kirobo will assist Koichi Wakata
scheduled to stay in the ISS for half a year starting this November as the first Japanese captain.
The humanoid robot "Kirobo"
Young ladies and gentlemen play with a Kirobo
Japan succeeded in launching the H2B rocket for four consecutive
times since 2009, and the success rate of the launch of major rockets is now
96.2% (25 successes out of 26 launches). JapanAerospace Exploration Agency entrusted Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with the
launch of H2B for the first time in the launch of H2B-4. This allowed the
company to take orders for rocket launch from abroad. In the world, 25 rockets
were launched in 2012. Europe launched 56 rockets, Russia 24, Alliance between
the U.S. and Ukraine 12, and China 8. Although Japan launched only 26 rockets
to date, it surpasses Ariane of Europe and Proton of Russia in the success
rate. The greatest problem that the company has to solve is the launch cost. It
cost about 15 billion yen to launch the H2B-4 rocket, twice as much as the world
standard.
The Japanese government will start to develop a new rocket in 2014 with
a view to reducing the launch cost to half. Tentatively named H3, the successor
is scheduled to be put into practical use in 2020.
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