H-IIB

H-IIB No. F8 at the launch pad in September 2019

Function| Medium-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Country of origin| Japan
Cost per launch| US$112.5 million[1]
Size
Height| 56.6 m (186 ft)
Diameter| 5.2 m (17 ft)
Mass| 531,000 kg (1,171,000 lb)
Stages| 2
Capacity
Payload to LEO| 19,000 kg (42,000 lb)[1]
Payload to ISS (carrying the HTV)| 16,500 kg (36,400 lb)[2]
Payload to GTO| 8,000 kg (18,000 lb)[3]
Associated rockets
Family| H-II
Derivatives| H3
Comparable|

* Ariane 5 ES
* Atlas V 541
* Falcon 9 Full Thrust
* Proton-M
* GSLV Mk III

Launch history
Status| Retired
Launch sites| Tanegashima, LC-Y2
Total launches| 9
Successes| 9
First flight| 10 September 2009
Last flight| 20 May 2020
Notable payloads| H-II Transfer Vehicle
Boosters – SRB-A3
No. boosters| 4
Length| 15 m (49 ft)
Diameter| 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Gross mass| 76,500 kg (168,700 lb) each
Propellant mass| 66,000 kg (146,000 lb) each
Thrust| 2,305 kN (518,000 lbf)
Total thrust| 9,220 kN (2,070,000 lbf)
Specific impulse| 283.6 s (2.781 km/s) (Vacuum)
Burn time| 114 seconds
Fuel| HTPB
First stage
Length| 38 m (125 ft)
Diameter| 5.2 m (17 ft)
Gross mass| 202,000 kg (445,000 lb)
Propellant mass| 177,800 kg (392,000 lb)
Engines| 2 LE-7A
Thrust| 2,196 kN (494,000 lbf) (vacuum)
Specific impulse| 440 seconds (4.3 km/s) (vacuum)
Burn time| 352 seconds
Fuel| LH2 / LOX
Second stage
Length| 11 m (36 ft)
Diameter| 4.0 m (13.1 ft)
Gross mass| 20,000 kg (44,000 lb)
Propellant mass| 16,600 kg (36,600 lb)
Engines| 1 LE-5B
Thrust| 137 kN (31,000 lbf) (vacuum)
Specific impulse| 448 s (4.39 km/s) (vacuum)
Burn time| 499 seconds
Fuel| LH2 / LOX

H-IIB (H2B) was an expendable space launch system jointly developed by the Japanese government's space agency JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was used to launch the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV, or Kōnotori) cargo spacecraft for the International Space Station. The H-IIB was a liquid-fueled rocket, with solid-fuel strap-on boosters and was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. H-IIB made its first flight in 2009, and had made a total of nine flights through 2020 with no failures.

H-IIB was able to carry a payload of up to 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) to Geostationary transfer orbit (GTO),[3] compared with the payload of 4000-6000 kg for the H-IIA, a predecessor design. Its performance to low Earth orbit (LEO) was sufficient for the 16,500 kg (36,400 lb) H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV).[3] The first H-IIB was launched in September 2009 and the last H-IIB was launched in May 2020.[3]

## Contents

* 1 Development
* 2 Vehicle description
* 3 Launch history
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## Development

H-II series

The H-IIB was a space launch vehicle jointly designed, manufactured and operated by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to launch the H-II Transfer Vehicle. The system was designed to adopt methods and components that have already been verified by flights on the H-IIA, so that manufacturing the new launch vehicle would be more cost-effective, with less risk, in a shorter period of time. JAXA was in charge of preliminary design, readiness of the ground facility, and the development of new technologies for the H-IIB, in which the private sector has limited competencies, while the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was responsible for manufacturing. JAXA successfully conducted eight firing tests of the new cluster design with the simulated first-stage propulsion system, called Battleship Firing Tests, since March 2008, at MHI's Tashiro Test Facility in Ōdate, Akita Prefecture.[4]

Before launch, two Captive Firing Tests were conducted on the H-IIB. The first test, which consisted of firing the first stage for ten seconds, was originally scheduled to occur at 02:30 UTC on 27 March 2009, however it was cancelled after the launch pad's coolant system failed to activate.[5] This was later discovered to have been due to a manual supply valve not being open.[6] The test was rescheduled for 1 April 2009, but then postponed again due to a leak in a pipe associated with the launch facility's fire suppression system.[7] The test was rescheduled for 2 April 2009,[8] when it was successfully conducted at 05:00 UTC.[9] Following this, the second test, which involved a 150-second burn of the first stage, was scheduled for 20 April.[10] This was successfully conducted at 04:00 UTC on 22 April 2009,[11] following a two-day delay due to unfavorable weather conditions.[12] A ground test, using a battleship mockup of the rocket was subsequently conducted on 11 July 2009.[13]

By 2009, the development program of the H-IIB had cost approximately 27 billion yen.[14]

## Vehicle description

The H-IIB launch vehicle was a two-stage rocket. The first stage used liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as propellants and had four strap-on solid rocket boosters (SRB-A3) powered by polybutadiene. The first stage was powered by two LE-7A engines, instead of one for the H-IIA. It had four SRB-As attached to the body, while the standard version of H-IIA had two SRB-As. In addition, the first-stage body of the H-IIB was 5.2 m in diameter compared with 4 m for the H-IIA. The total length of the first stage was extended by 1 m from that of H-IIA. As a result, the H-IIB first stage held 70% more propellant than that of the H-IIA. The second stage was powered by a single LE-5B engine, which was also propelled by a hydrogen/oxygen fuel and oxidizer.[15]

## Launch history

Main article: Engineering:List of H-II and H3 launches

The first launch of the H-IIB occurred on 10 September 2009 at 17:01:46 UTC. It successfully launched the HTV-1, which was on a mission to resupply the International Space Station (ISS).[16]

H-IIB flights from Tanegashima LC-Y2.  Flight No.  | Date of Launch (UTC)  | Result  | Payload  | Remarks  | Remarks

|
|
|
|
|

TF1  | 10 September 2009
17:01:46  | Success  |  HTV-1 | First flight of H-IIB  |
F2  | 22 January 2011
05:37:57  | Success  |  HTV-2 |  |
F3  | 21 July 2012
02:06:18  | Success  |  HTV-3
Raiko*1
We Wish*1
Niwaka*1
TechEdSat*1
F-1*1 | *1CubeSats carried aboard HTV, on 4 October 2012 deployed from the ISS  |
F4  | 3 August 2013
19:48:46  | Success  |  HTV-4
Pico Dragon*2
ArduSat-1*2
ArduSat-X*2
TechEdSat-3p*2 | *2CubeSats carried aboard HTV for deployment from the ISS  |
F5  | 19 August 2015
11:50:49  | Success  |  HTV-5
SERPENS*3
S-CUBE*3
Flock-2b x 14*3
GOMX-3*3
AAUSAT5*3 | *3CubeSats carried aboard HTV for deployment from the ISS  |
F6  | 9 December 2016
13:26:47  | Success  |  HTV-6
AOBA-Velox III*4
TuPOD*4
EGG*4
ITF-2*4
STARS-C*4
FREEDOM*4
WASEDA-SAT3*4
OSNSAT*4
Tancredo-1*4
TechEdSat-5*4
4 × Lemur-2*4 | *4CubeSats carried aboard HTV for deployment from the ISS  |
F7  | 22 September 2018
17:52:27  | Success  |  HTV-7
SPATIUM-I*5
RSP-00*5
STARS-Me*5 | *5 CubeSats carried aboard HTV for deployment from the ISS  |
F8  | 24 September 2019
16:05:05  | Success  |  HTV-8
NARSSCube-1*6
AQT-D*6
RWASAT-1*6 | *6 CubeSats carried aboard HTV for deployment from the ISS.
The first launch attempt on 10 September 2019, 21:33 UTC, was postponed due to a fire on the launch pad.  |
F9  | 20 May 2020
17:31:00  | Success  |  HTV-9 | Kounotori 9 HTV launch to the ISS.
The last launch of both the carrier rocket and vehicle, awaiting new fleet of HTV-X and H3 to launch in January 2024.  |

## See also

* Comparison of orbital launchers families
* Comparison of orbital launch systems

## References

1. ↑ SASAKI, Hiroshi; IMADA, Takane; TAKATA, Shinichi (2009). "Development Plan for Future Mission from HTV System". Transactions of the Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences, Space Technology Japan 7 (ists26): Tk_77–Tk_82. doi:10.2322/tstj.7.Tk_77. ISSN 1347-3840.
2. ↑ "About H-IIB Launch Vehicle". JAXA. https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/h2b/index.html.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Krebs, Gunter. "H-2B". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/h-2b.htm.
4. ↑ "A new stage in Japanese space transportation". Tomihisa Nakamura. JAXA. 2007-07-15. http://www.jaxa.jp/article/special/transportation/nakamura01_e.html.
5. ↑ "Postponement of the First Captive Firing Test (CFT) of the First Stage Flight Model Tank for the H-IIB Launch Vehicle". JAXA. 2009-03-27. http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/03/20090327_cft_e.html.
6. ↑ "The First Captive Firing Test for the First Stage Flight Model Tank for the H-IIB Launch Vehicle". JAXA. 2009-03-30. http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/03/20090330_cft_e.html.
7. ↑ "Suspension of the First Captive Firing Test (CFT) of the First Stage Flight Model Tank for the H-IIB Launch Vehicle". JAXA. 2009-04-01. http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/04/20090401_cft_e.html.
8. ↑ "The First Captive Firing Test for the First Stage Flight Model Tank for the H-IIB Launch Vehicle". JAXA. 2009-04-01. http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/04/20090401_cft2_e.html.
9. ↑ "Result of the First Captive Firing Test for the First Stage Flight Model Tank of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle". JAXA. 2009-04-02. http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/04/20090402_cft_e.html.
10. ↑ "The Second Captive Firing Test for the First Stage Flight Model Tank for the H-IIB Launch Vehicle". JAXA. 2009-04-17. http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/04/20090417_cft_e.html.
11. ↑ "Result of the Second Captive Firing Test for the First Stage Flight Model Tank of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle". JAXA. 2009-04-22. http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/04/20090422_cft_e.html.
12. ↑ "Postponement of the Second Captive Firing Test (CFT) of the First Stage Flight Model Tank for the H-IIB Launch Vehicle". JAXA. 2009-04-19. http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/04/20090419_cft_e.html.
13. ↑ "Results of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle Ground Test Vehicle (GTV) Test". JAXA. 2009-07-11. http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/07/20090711_gtv_e.html.
14. ↑ JAXA、H-IIBロケットの地上総合試験(GTV)について説明, Robot Watch, 2009-7-10
15. ↑ "H-IIB". H-IIB Launch Vehicle. Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency. 2009-07-15. http://www.jaxa.jp/pr/brochure/pdf/01/rocket05.pdf.
16. ↑ "Japan's space freighter in orbit". Jonathan Amos. BBC. 2009-08-10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8249357.stm.

## External links

* JAXA | H-IIB Launch Vehicle
* "Development Status of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle". Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Volume 45 Number 4
* H-2B rocket 3D model

* v
* t
* e

Japanese orbital launch systems

JAXA|

| Active|

* Epsilon
* H-IIA
* SS-520(Three stage variant)

|

Planned|

* H3

ISAS|

| Retired|

* Lambda (4S)
* Mu (4S
* 3C
* 3H
* 3S
* 3SII
* V)

|

NASDA|

| Retired|

* N-I‡
* N-II‡
* H-I‡
* H-II
* H-IIB

|

Other|

| Cancelled|

* GX‡

|

Development halted|

* J-I¤

* ‡ Based around licence-produced US rockets; ¤ Never flew an orbital flight (only 1 suborbital flight performed)

* v
* t
* e

Kounotori H-II Transfer Vehicle spaceflights

Past missions|

* HTV-1 (Sep 2009)
* HTV-2 (Jan 2011)
* HTV-3 (Jul 2012)
* HTV-4 (Aug 2013)
* HTV-5 (Aug 2015)
* HTV-6 (Dec 2016)
* HTV-7 (Sep 2018)
* HTV-8 (Sep 2019)

Future missions|

* HTV-9 (May 2020)
* HTV-X1 (Feb 2022)
* HTV-X2

See also|

* H-IIB
* H3
* JAXA
* Tanegashima (Yoshinobu)
* Uncrewed spaceflights to the ISS

* v
* t
* e

Orbital launch systems

* List of orbital launch systems
* Comparison of orbital launch systems

Current|

* Angara
* A5
* Antares 230+
* Ariane 5
* Atlas V
* Delta IV Heavy
* Electron
* Epsilon
* Falcon 9 Block 5
* Falcon Heavy
* GSLV
* Mk II
* Mk III
* H-IIA
* H-IIB
* Hyperbola-1
* Jielong 1
* Kuaizhou
* 1
* 1A
* Kaituozhe 2
* Long March
* 2C
* 2D
* 2F
* 3A
* 3B/E
* 3C
* 4B
* 4C
* 5
* 6
* 7
* 11
* Minotaur
* I
* IV
* V
* C
* OS-M1
* Pegasus XL
* Proton-M
* PSLV
* Safir
* Shavit
* Simorgh
* Soyuz-2
* 2.1a / STA
* 2.1b / STB
* 2-1v
* Unha
* Vega
* Zenit
* 3SL
* 3SLB
* 3F
* Zhuque-1

In development|

* Angara 1.2
* Ariane 6
* Bloostar
* Cyclone-4M
* Eris
* Firefly Alpha
* Beta
* H3
* Hyperbola-2
* Irtysh
* Kuaizhou
* 11
* 21
* 31
* LauncherOne
* Long March
* 8
* 9
* Miura 5
* New Glenn
* New Line 1
* Nuri
* OmegA
* OS-M2
* OS-M4
* Orbex Prime
* SLS
* Soyuz-7
* SSLV
* Starship
* Terran 1
* Vega C
* Vega E
* Vulcan
* Zero
* Zhuque-2

Retired|

* Antares 110/120/130/230
* Ariane
* 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* ASLV
* Athena
* I
* II
* Atlas
* B
* D
* E/F
* G
* H
* I
* II
* III
* LV-3B
* SLV-3
* Able
* Agena
* Centaur
* Black Arrow
* Conestoga
* Delta
* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* G
* J
* L
* M
* N
* 0100
* 1000
* 2000
* 3000
* 4000
* 5000
* II
* III
* IV
* Diamant
* Dnepr
* Energia
* Europa
* Falcon 1
* Falcon 9
* v1.0
* v1.1
* v1.2 "Full Thrust"
* Feng Bao 1
* GSLV
* Mk I
* H-I
* H-II
* Juno I
* Juno II
* Kaituozhe-1
* Kosmos
* 1
* 2I
* 3
* 3M
* Lambda 4S
* Long March
* 1
* 1D†
* 2A
* 2E
* 3
* 3B
* 4A
* Mu
* 4S 3C 3H 3S 3SII
* V
* N1†
* N-I
* N-II
* Naro-1
* Paektusan
* Pilot†
* R-7
* Luna
* Molniya
* M
* L
* Polyot
* Soyuz
* original
* FG
* L
* M
* U
* U2
* Soyuz/Vostok
* Sputnik
* Voskhod
* Vostok
* L
* K
* 2
* 2M
* R-29
* Shtil'
* Volna
* Saturn
* I
* IB
* V
* Scout
* SLV
* Space Shuttle
* SPARK†
* Sparta
* SS-520
* Start-1
* Thor
* Able
* Ablestar
* Agena
* Burner
* Delta
* DSV-2U
* Thorad-Agena
* Titan
* II GLV
* IIIA
* IIIB
* IIIC
* IIID
* IIIE
* 34D
* 23G
* CT-3
* IV
* Tsyklon
* 2
* 3
* 4
* UR (Proton)
* UR-500 (Proton)
* Proton-K
* Rokot
* Strela
* Vanguard
* VLS-1†
* Zenit
* 2
* 2M

Classes|

* Sounding rocket
* Small-lift launch vehicle
* Medium-lift launch vehicle
* Heavy-lift launch vehicle
* Super heavy-lift launch vehicle

* Symbol † indicates projects terminated before a successful orbital launch

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