M-V rocket

M-V

The fifth M-V launches with the ASTRO-EII spacecraft.
Function	All-solid small orbital launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Nissan Motors (-2000) (-2006)
Country of origin	Japan
Size
Height	30.8 m (101 ft)
Diameter	2.5 m (8.2 ft)
Mass	137,500 - 139,000 kg (303,100 - 306,000 lb)
Stages	3 or 4
Capacity
Payload to LEO	1,800 kg (3,900 lb)
Payload to Polar LEO	1,300 kg (2,800 lb)
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	Kagoshima
Total launches	7 (M-V: 4, M-V KM: 3)
Successes	6 (M-V: 3, M-V KM: 3)
Failures	1 (M-V)
First flight	M-V: 10 February 2000 M-V KM: 12 February 1997
Last flight	M-V: 22 September 2006 M-V KM: 9 May 2003
Notable payloads	HALCA, Nozomi, ASTRO-E, Hayabusa Suzaku, AKARI Hinode
First stage - M-14
Engines	1 Solid
Thrust	3,780.345 kN (849,855 lbf)
Specific impulse	246 sec
Burn time	46 seconds
Fuel	Solid
Second stage - M-24
Engines	1 Solid
Thrust	1,245.287 kN (279,952 lbf)
Specific impulse	203 sec
Burn time	71 seconds
Fuel	Solid
Third stage - M-34
Engines	1 Solid
Thrust	294 kN (66,093 lbf)
Specific impulse	301 sec
Burn time	102 seconds
Fuel	Solid
Fourth stage (M-V KM) - KM-V1
Engines	1 Solid
Thrust	51.9 kN (11,668 lbf)
Specific impulse	298 sec
Burn time	73 seconds
Fuel	Solid

The M-V rocket, also called M-5 or Mu-5, was a Japanese solid-fuel rocket designed to launch scientific satellites. It was a member of the Mu family of rockets. The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) began developing the M-V in 1990 at a cost of 15 billion yen. It has three stages and is 30.7 meters high, 2.5 meters in diameter, and weighs about 140 tonnes (310,000 pounds). It was capable of launching a satellite weighing 1.8 tonnes (2 short tons) into an orbit as high as 250 km (160 mi).

The first M-V rocket launched the HALCA radio astronomy satellite in 1997, and the second the Nozomi Mars explorer in July 1998. The third rocket attempted to launch the Astro-E X-ray satellite on February 10, 2000 but failed.

ISAS recovered from this setback and launched Hayabusa to 25143 Itokawa in 2003.

The following M-V launch was the scientific Astro-E2 satellite, a replacement for Astro-E, which took place on July 10, 2005.

The final launch was that of the Hinode (SOLAR-B) spacecraft, along with the SSSat microsat and a nanosatellite, HIT-SAT, on 22 September 2006.

A follow on to the M-V, called the Epsilon Rocket, featured a lower 1.2 tonne LEO payload capability. The development aim is to reduce costs, primarily by using the H-IIA solid rocket booster as the first stage and through shorter launch preparation time. Epsilon launches are intended to cost much less than the $70 million launch cost of a M-V.