Uchinoura Space Center
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The Uchinoura Space Center (内之浦宇宙空間観測所, Uchinoura Uchū Kūkan Kansokusho) is a space launch facility in the
History
Established in February 1962, the Kagoshima Space Center (KSC) was constructed on the Pacific coast of
Subsequent to the so-called Baby Rocket, launch vehicles developed by Japan have been given names from the Greek alphabet, i.e. Alpha, Beta, Kappa, Omega, Lambda, and Mu. Although some Greek letters have been skipped due to project termination, the progression to Mu has been one of larger and more sophisticated rockets.
Launch test efforts at KSC with regard to the Kappa, Lambda and Lambda-4 rockets set the stage for small satellite missions.[4][5] At the same time, the Mu program of large rockets was pursued.[6] After four launch failures, an engineering test satellite was successfully put into orbit aboard a Lambda 4S-5 rocket. The satellite Ohsumi (named after a peninsula in Kagoshima Prefecture) marked Japan's first successful satellite launch. Subsequent improvements in the Mu class rocket enabled scientific satellite launches at a rate of one per year. Development of the new generation M-V rocket resulted in successful launch of the scientific satellite MUSES-B (HALCA) in February 1997.
The first launch of the
Launch pads
- Kappa Pad - 31°15′08″N 131°04′43″E / 31.2523°N 131.0785°E[4]
- Lambda Pad - 31°15′08″N 131°04′43″E / 31.2523°N 131.0785°E[5]
- Mu Pad - 31°15′04″N 131°04′53″E / 31.2510°N 131.0813°E[6]
- M-V Pad - 31°15′04″N 131°04′55″E / 31.2510°N 131.0820°E[7]
- Temporary pad - 31°15′10″N 131°04′31″E / 31.2527°N 131.0754°E[8]
See also
- Tanegashima Space Center – Rocket-launch complex in Japan
References
- ^ "JAXA | Uchinoura Space Center". JAXA | Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ a b "Kagoshima". astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ "Kagoshima Space Center, Uchinoura, Japan - Stratospheric balloon launches". stratocat.com.ar. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ a b "Kagoshima K". astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ a b "Kagoshima L". astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ a b "Kagoshima M". astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ "Kagoshima M-V". astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ "Kagoshima TMP". astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
31°15′07″N 131°04′55″E / 31.25194°N 131.08194°E