H-IIA & H-IIB

Cost

A primary goal of the H-IIA program was to develop the original H-II vehicle into a lower-cost launch system. The development cost of the original H-II was approximately 270 billion yen (roughly $2.2 billion at 2002 exchange rates). Of this, roughly 90 billion yen ($730 million) was spent on development of the LE-7 engine. According to NASDA*, it typically cost about 19 billion yen ($155 million) to produce and launch each H-II. The most expensive mission, flight 3F, cost 19.5 billion yen ($158 million) because of an additional pair of small solid boosters. The least expensive mission was 8F, costing only 14 billion yen ($114 million) because it used the less expensive version of the second stage developed for the H-IIA. Japan’s Transport Ministry and Meteorological Agency paid NASDA 10 billion yen ($81 million) to launch the first MT-Sat on this flight in November 1999.

The H-IIA development program was initially budgeted at 90 billion yen ($730 million), but is estimated to have cost closer to 120 billion yen ($976 million) because of a variety of delays and technical problems. JAXA’s goal is to reduce per flight costs of the basic H2A202 vehicle to less than 8.5 billion yen (about $69 million). The first H-IIA flight actually cost around 9 billion yen ($73 million), but this was due in part to the additional costs associated with a first test launch. The second and third launches, each using the more powerful 2024 configuration, cost 10.6 billion yen ($86 million) and 10.2 billion yen ($83 million) respectively. In 2001 Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport signed a $72 million contract to launch a replacement MT-Sat on an H-IIA. In 1996 Hughes ordered 10 launches with 10 options on H-IIA vehicles. When the contract was canceled in 2000, Japanese newspapers reported that the contract had been worth 103 billion yen ($836 million).

Availability

The first H-IIA test launch, using the 202 configuration, was performed in August 2001. The 2024 configuration was first launched in a second test launch in February 2002. After two successful test flights, H-IIA is consider to be operational.

The H-IIA is used primarily by the Japanese government, which plans a flight rate of three government missions per year. It is also marketed internationally to commercial customers by Rocket System Corporation (RSC), a consortium of the Japanese companies involved in the production of the HIIA. RSC has been responsible for building vehicles and for marketing and operating them for commercial users since the creation of the H-II. However, in 2002 the Space Activities Commission signed an agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries giving it control of the launch and marketing operations of H-IIA as part of a privatization process. Mitsubishi will take over in 2006 with the ninth flight.

Historically, launches at Tanegashima have been limited to two periods of roughly six weeks each per year, starting in January and August, because of concerns by local fishermen that launches reduce their catch. In the past this limited launches to two per year and imposed strict schedule constraints. To achieve higher flight rates and reduce launch window restrictions for the H-IIA and smaller rockets such as the J-I and M-V, the Japanese government negotiated with local governments and the fishing unions to double the duration of the launch windows. The new periods cover 1 January through 28 February, and 22 July through 30 September. In addition, 60 days from June through July and November through December are available as launch periods for high-priority launches such as planetary or international missions. JAXA also expanded its vehicle assembly building and built a second launch pad at the Yoshinobu Launch Complex. The combination of longer launch periods, enhanced facilities, and improvements in the H-IIA design for faster launch processing make it possible to launch up to 6–8 vehicles per year.

*JAXA, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, was formed 1 October 2003 by the merger of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL), and National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). References to historical events will preserve the original organization’s name. All ongoing and new references will be to JAXA.