Epsilon (rocket)

Epsilon
Epsilon flight F2 before launch in December 2016
FunctionLaunch vehicle
Country of originJapan
Cost per launchUS$39 million[1]
Size
Height24.4 m (Demonstration Flight)
26 m (Enhanced)
27.2 m (Epsilon S)[2]
Diameter2.5 m
Mass91 t (Demonstration Flight)
95.4 t (Enhanced)
~100 t (Epsilon S)
Stages3–4
Capacity
Payload to 250 x 500 km orbit
Standard 3 stages configuration
Mass1,500 kg (3,300 lb)
Payload to 500 km orbit
Optional 4 stages configuration
Mass700 kg (1,500 lb)
Payload to 500 km orbit
Epsilon S
Mass1,400 kg (3,100 lb)[2]
Payload to 500 km SSO
Optional 4 stages configuration
Mass590 kg (1,300 lb)
Payload to 700 km SSO
Epsilon S
Mass600 kg (1,300 lb)[2]
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sitesUchinoura
Total launches6
Success(es)5
Failure(s)1
Partial failure(s)0
First flight14 September 2013
Last flight12 October 2022
First stage (Demonstration Flight/Enhanced) – SRB-A3
Powered by1 solid
Maximum thrust2,271 kN (511,000 lbf)[3]
Specific impulse284 s (2.79 km/s)
Burn time116 seconds
First stage (Epsilon S) – SRB-3
Powered by1 solid
Maximum thrust2,158 kN (485,000 lbf)[4]
Specific impulse283.6 s (2.781 km/s)
Burn time105 seconds
Second stage (Demonstration Flight) – M-34c
Powered by1 solid
Maximum thrust371.5 kN (83,500 lbf)[3]
Specific impulse300 s (2.9 km/s)
Burn time105 seconds
Second stage (Enhanced) – M-35
Powered by1 solid
Maximum thrust445 kN (100,000 lbf)[3]
Specific impulse295 s (2.89 km/s)[5]
Burn time129 seconds [5]
Second stage (Epsilon S) – E-21[2]
Powered by1 solid
Maximum thrust610 kN (140,000 lbf)[2]
Specific impulse294.5 s (2.888 km/s)[2]
Burn time120 seconds[2]
Third stage (Demonstration Flight) – KM-V2b
Powered by1 solid
Maximum thrust99.8 kN (22,400 lbf)[3]
Specific impulse301 s (2.95 km/s)
Burn time90 seconds
Third stage (Enhanced) – KM-V2c
Powered by1 solid
Maximum thrust99.6 kN (22,400 lbf)[3]
Specific impulse299 s (2.93 km/s)[5]
Burn time91 seconds[5]
Third stage (Epsilon S) – E-31[6]
Powered by1 solid
Maximum thrust135 kN (30,000 lbf)[6]
Specific impulse~295 s (2.89 km/s)
Burn time108 seconds[6]
Fourth stage (Optional) – CLPS
Maximum thrust40.8 N (9.2 lbf)
Specific impulse215 s (2.11 km/s)[3]
Burn time1100 seconds (maximum)
PropellantHydrazine

The Epsilon Launch Vehicle, or Epsilon rocket (イプシロンロケット, Ipushiron roketto) (formerly Advanced Solid Rocket), is a Japanese solid-fuel rocket designed to launch scientific satellites. It is a follow-on project to the larger and more expensive M-V rocket which was retired in 2006. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) began developing the Epsilon in 2007. It is capable of placing a 590 kg payload into Sun-synchronous orbit.[7]

  1. ^ "U.S. GAO - Surplus Missile Motors: Sale Price Drives Potential Effects on DOD and Commercial Launch Providers". U.S. Government Accountability Office. 16 August 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "イプシロンSロケット開発状況に関する説明会" [Press Briefing on the development status of the Epsilon S rocket] (PDF) (in Japanese). JAXA. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "イプシロンロケットの開発および準備状況" (PDF). JAXA. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  4. ^ "H3 Launch Vehicle Brochure" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d Koki KITAGAWA; Shinichiro TOKUDOME; Keiichi HORI; Haruhito TANNO; Nobuyuki NAKANO2 (2019). "Development and Flight Results of Solid Propulsion System for Enhanced Epsilon Launch Vehicle". Trans. JSASS Aerospace Tech. Japan. 17 (3): 289–294. Bibcode:2019JSAST..17..289K. doi:10.2322/tastj.17.289. Retrieved 9 March 2023.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ a b c "イプシロンSロケット第3段モータ(E-31)地上燃焼試験結果" [Results of ground test firing of 3rd stage of the Epsilon S rocket (E-31)]. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Epsilon Launch Vehicle" (PDF). JAXA. Retrieved 25 January 2018.