Mu (rocket family)

Mu or M or Myu ( according to the respective transcription of the 12th Greek letter μ ) refers to a series of Japanese launchers. All rockets of the series use solid fuels and be launched from Uchinoura Space Center. Continue the Japanese line of development of solid rocket of ISAS for scientific payloads. The precursors were also denoted by Greek letters.

Former Japanese launchers of Mu series

1966 has been tested on a suborbital flight with Mu - 1, the first rocket in the series. The following types of rockets to Mu - V are summarized as Mu -3: 1969 was a suborbital launch of Mu - 3D. 1971 ( after a failure in 1970 ) was launched on February 16 with the four-step Mu -4S, the Japanese satellite TANSEI 1, further launches were made until 1972. Using the three-step successor Mu -3C three satellites were successfully launched from 1974 to 1979. The next generation was Mu -3H, this rocket was from 1977 to 1978 in use. Their successors Mu -3S was from 1980 to 1984 in use. In the years 1985 to 1995 was followed by Mu - 3S2.

Versions of the launcher MU

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Mu - V

Mu - V has been used since 1997. Previously there were two starts (one successfully ) with the three-step Mu -V and three starts with the four-step Mu - V KM. The maximum load capacity is 1800 kg in a 30 ° orbit at 200 km altitude and 1300 kg in a polar orbit at 200 km altitude for Mu -V, 1800 kg in a 30 ° orbit at 400 km altitude for Mu - V KM. The total mass of Mu - V is 137.5 thousand kilograms, which the Mu - V KM 139 thousand kilograms. Since 2003, an improved V - Mu is used rocket, which differs by a new second stage of the original model.

On 26 July 2006, JAXA announced that they wanted the Mu - V Do not use after the SOLAR -B launch. Instead, should a new launchers type, are developed based on a mix of technologies of Mu - V and the H-IIA. The first launch of the new launcher Epsilon was announced in 2010 and was held in September 2013.