Epsilon Launch Vehicle - Advanced Solid Rocket (ASR)

[Salo]

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=space&id=news/Japan111009.xml&headline=New%20Japanese%20Solid%20Rocket%20On%20Way

New Japanese Solid Rocket On Way

Nov 10, 2009

By Bradley Perrett

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) hopes next year to begin full-scale development of its three-stage Advanced Solid Rocket (ASR), with a first launch to follow in 2012 or 2013.

To be built by IHI Aerospace, the ASR is Japan's proposed future launcher for medium scientific payloads. JAXA also is studying a further development that would cut costs partly by using a fuel that could be melted and formed into a solid engine at less than the boiling temperature of water. That follow-on rocket could be available for commercial use, according to ASR project leader Yasuhiro Morita.

Studies of the ASR began in 2007 and the agency has now completed its concept design, done the preliminary design review and is about halfway into more detailed development work.

The point of the project is to cut costs. The ASR would lift 1.2-ton satellites to low orbit, a third less than its predecessor M-V, at around a third of the cost per launch. At $80 million a shot, the M-V was enormously costly, partly because it was launched only seven times in nine years, the last in 2006. The agency says Japan's space scientific effort suffered fr om that high cost.

For the ASR, "the purpose is to significantly reduce the time and labor needed for ... assembly and checkout of the rocket and to make the associated ground support system and facilities as compact as possible," Morita says. The target cost is $30 million per launch.

The design would cut costs in several ways, beginning with the use of the SRB-A strap-on solid-rocket booster fr om the H-IIA and H-IIB heavy rockets as the ASR's first stage, which would offer the economies of a faster production run. The casings for the upper stages would be made more cheaply by curing their composite material at normal pressure rather than high pressure. Avionics from the H-IIA would also be used.

The second stage would be based on the third stage of the M-V. The ASR third stage would be adapted from the fourth stage of the M-V. Thrust will be increased a little for both of those upper stages.

http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/solid/index_e.html

Lowering the hurdles to space

As part of our research on the next-generation solid propellant rocket, we plan to reduce the cost by a third of that for the former M-V Launch Vehicle. However, we are not only thinking about cost reductions. Our ultimate goal is to lower hurdles to space by developing a space transportation system suitable for a new age and by making rocket launches much simpler. Additionally, we will be able to meet the wide range of demands for rocket launches by operating the H-IIA and H-IIB Launch Vehicles as well.

Innovation of the launch system

For the next-generation solid fuel rocket, we plan to reform the launch system and improve the operation performance to the highest global standard by utilizing innovative ideas far beyond a simple combination of existing technologies. For example, we will reduce the time needed for the operation of ground facilities and launches to about one fourth of the time required for the M-V Launch Vehicle. To do this, we will make the vehicle perform checks onboard and autonomously and reduce the time required for operations on the ground. Ultimately, through internet, we will be able to check and control rockets anywhere in the world simply by using a laptop computer. We are planning to realize the world, wh ere the launch control system is not necessarily at the launch site anymore. Such an innovative concept for a new solid propellant rocket will become a good model for future launch systems involving a liquid fuel rocket.

Making rocket launches as simple as daily events

Currently, onboard equipment is custom made to suit each rocket. Assuming that the rocket was a personal computer, onboard equipment for the rocket would correspond to the computer peripherals and are unique to that specific rocket. For our new rocket, we are aiming as much as possible to develop onboard equipment that can be shared with a family of rockets. For example, we are thinking of connecting onboard equipment through a high-speed network. Hence, if we use common interfaces on them, we can freely add or change equipment, or even put them on a different rocket just like computer peripherals. In other words, launching the rocket is just like using a computer. The launch of the rocket will become much easier, just like daily events. This dream era, wh ere we can become much closer to space, is only a few steps away.

Messages from Project Managers


Project Manager Yasuhiro Morita

We have started research on a new solid propellant rocket as a successor to the M-V Launch Vehicle, which regrettably was retired after many years of successful operations. The M-V Launch Vehicle was the world's best performing multi-stage rocket using solid fuel engines in all stages and contributed to even successful planetary explorations. The rocket was, however, optimized only in the performance of the vehicle body, thus the challenge for the new generation of launch system is to optimize other areas as well.

One of these is the optimization in operational performance. Although satellites are launched by rockets, they are only a part of the launch system. Besides the rocket, the launch system also needs an integrated performance from its ground facilities and operation (labor for the assembly and testing). A large amount of labor is required for the preparation of the M-V Launch Vehicle at Uchinoura Space center (USC), making the area during launch preparation look like a festival as many people work around the huge ground facility for long periods of time.

For research on a new solid propellant rocket, we are not only integrating existing technologies, but also planning to revolutionize the launch system by incorporating many innovative ideas. In other words, we want to make rocket launches as simple as possible. The first goal for us is to minimize and simplify ground facilities and make the operation extremely compact. For example, time-consuming ground checks should be performed onboard and autonomously. Ultimately, through internet, we will be able to check or control rockets anywhere in the world simply by using a laptop computer. We are determined to realize this dreamful world. The concept of carrying out tests at the production stage will be changed as well. Up until now, whenever we conducted a system test for several pieces of onboard equipment from different manufacturers, we needed to physically gather all the components. But from now on, even though all these components are scattered throughout the world, thanks to the internet, we will be able to test them in a virtual reality environment as if they were lined up in the same place.

We would like to make rocket launches as simple as possible in order to make space much closer to us. This dream era is just a few steps away. Please continue to give us your support like what we received for the development of the M-V Launch Vehicle.

Интервью с Ясухиро Морита: http://www.jaxa.jp/article/interview/no16/index_e.html

[serb]

В общем, японцы взялись за МБР

[Salo]

Такая МБР у них была - М-V.

[Salo]

http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/enterp/rockets/vehicles/index.shtml

[Monoceros]

Такая МБР у них была - М-V.

Она ж с наклонной рампы запускалась

[Monoceros]

На мой взгляд самое интересное:

AXA also is studying a further development that would cut costs partly by using a fuel that could be melted and formed into a solid engine at less than the boiling temperature of water.

Маргарин-биндер? Что-то врядли это для МБР подходит

[Salo]

Такая МБР у них была - М-V.

Она ж с наклонной рампы запускалась

Наклонят на запад и огонь! :wink:

[Monoceros]

Да вообще Японии не нужна МБР, у них до Врага 500км))
Разве что шведу грозить

[октоген]

Не думаю что япсам вообще нужна МБР. Их острова тактическими ядерными бомбами авиацией нашей засеваются легко. Так что они в любом случае в проигрыше.

А как носитель это будет традиционная для них ракета-пилорама для денег.

Глядя на японцев и их кучу носителей разных лет вспоминается анекдот, где медведь спрашивал охотника: " мужик ты охотник или..."

[Salo]

http://www.b14643.de/Spacerockets_1/Japan/ASR-Epsilon/Description/Frame.htm

[pkl]

Не думаю что япсам вообще нужна МБР. Их острова тактическими ядерными бомбами авиацией нашей засеваются легко. Так что они в любом случае в проигрыше.

А как носитель это будет традиционная для них ракета-пилорама для денег.

Глядя на японцев и их кучу носителей разных лет вспоминается анекдот, где медведь спрашивал охотника: " мужик ты охотник или..."

Япония кстати, как и Израиль, как раз тот случай, когда национальная ПРО может быть иметь смысл ибо прикрываемая территория небольшая. А МБРы можно и на подводных лодках разместить, которые будут тусоваться где-нибудь в южной части Тихого океана. Или даже Индийского и южной Атлантике. Впрочем, их и в горах можно спрятать - японцы отличные фортификаторы.

[napalm]

а что они будут на этих МБР доставлять?

[Петр Зайцев]

а что они будут на этих МБР доставлять?

Гуманитарную помощь, как обычно.
-- Pete

[napalm]

а что они будут на этих МБР доставлять?

Гуманитарную помощь, как обычно.
-- Pete

 

ПМСМ конечно, но на МБР экономически оправдана доставка только одного вида грузов, а его у японцев вроде как нету

[Eraser]

а его у японцев вроде как нету

Это пусть вас не обманывает, при необходимости они очень быстро соберут нужное количество боеголовок. У них все технологии для их создания имеются и протестированы, по некоторым слухам чуть ли не комплекты отверточной сборки.  

[Дмитрий В.]

а что они будут на этих МБР доставлять?

Гуманитарную помощь, как обычно.
-- Pete

 

ПМСМ конечно, но на МБР экономически оправдана доставка только одного вида грузов, а его у японцев вроде как нету

А зачем оно им? Против кого?

[Снусмумрик]

А зачем оно им? Против кого?

Против китайцев, если США внезапно развалится.

[Дмитрий В.]

А зачем оно им? Против кого?

Против китайцев, если США внезапно развалится.

А зачем  Японии с Китаем воевать?

[pkl]

Например, чтобы ослабить главного конкурента в регионе. Или... чтобы сдерживать.

[pkl]

а его у японцев вроде как нету

Это пусть вас не обманывает, при необходимости они очень быстро соберут нужное количество боеголовок. У них все технологии для их создания имеются и протестированы, по некоторым слухам чуть ли не комплекты отверточной сборки.  

Так ещё в 1990-м г. тогдашний премьер-министр ляпнул, что могут за пару лет сделать. А я где-то читал, что, мол, вообще за 6-7 мес.