Vol. 51 No. 4 (2014)   Aerospace Technology
Technical Papers

H-IIA Launch Vehicle Upgrade Development
- Upper Stage Enhancement to Extend the Lifetime of Satellites -

MAYUKI NIITSU
MASAAKI YASUI
KOJI SHIMURA
JUN YABANA
YOSHICHIKA TANABE
KEITARO ISHIKAWA

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) started the satellite launch service by H-IIA and H-IIB launch vehicles in 2007. Since then, the H-IIA and H-IIB have continued successful launches. In September 2013, MHI received the first order to launch a commercial satellite from TELESAT, a leading global satellite operator in Canada. The satellite will be launched using the upgraded 2nd stage of H-IIA to extend the lifetime of the satellite. MHI has engaged in the upgraded development under the contract of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). This paper explains the H-IIA 2nd stage upgrade to realize a longer satellite lifetime by injection into an orbit closer to geostationary earth orbit (GEO).