JAPANESE LAUNCH RECORD (1966-present) Date Launch Vehicle Payload -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *26 Sep 66 L-4S-1 Test satellite *20 Dec 66 L-4S-2 Test satellite -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *13 Apr 67 L-4S-3 Test satellite -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *22 Sep 69 L-4S-4 Test satellite -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Feb 70 L-4S-5 Ohsumi *25 Sep 70 M-4S-1 Science satellite 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Feb 71 M-4S-2 MS-T1 (Tansei) 28 Sep 71 M-4S-3 Shinsei -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 Aug 72 M-4S-4 Denpa (REXS) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Feb 74 M-3C-1 MS-T2 (Tansei 2) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 Feb 75 M-3C-2 Taiyo (SRATS) 9 Sep 75 N-I-1 ETS-1 (Kiku 1) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 4 Feb 76 M-3C-3 Corsa-A 29 Feb 76 N-I-2 Ume 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 Feb 77 M-3H-1 MS-T3 (Tansei 3) 23 Feb 77 N-I-3 ETS-2 (Kiku 2) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Feb 78 M-3H-2 Exos-A (Kyokko) 16 Feb 78 N-I-4 Ume 2 16 Sep 78 M-3H-3 Exos-B (Jukiken) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 6 Feb 79 N-I-5 Ayame 1 21 Feb 79 M-3C-4 Corsa-B (Hakucho) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 Feb 80 M-3S-1 MS-T4 (Tansei 4) 22 Feb 80 N-I-6 Ayame 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Feb 81 N-II-1 ETS-4 (Kiku 3) 21 Feb 81 M-3S-2 Astro-A (Hinotori) 11 Aug 81 N-II-2 GMS-2 (Himawari 2) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Feb 82 M-3S-3 Astro-B (Tenma) 3 Sep 82 N-I-7 ETS-3 (Kiku 4) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Feb 83 N-II-3 CS-2a (Sakura 2a) 6 Aug 83 N-II-4 CS-2b (Sakura 2b) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 Jan 84 N-II-5 BS-2a (Yuri 2a) 14 Feb 84 M-3S-4 Exos-C (Ohzora) 3 Aug 84 N-II-6 GMS-3 (Himawari 3) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Jan 85 M-3SII-1 MS-T5 (Sakigake) 18 Aug 85 M-3SII-2 Planet-A (Suisei) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Feb 86 N-II-7 BS-2b (Yuri 2b) 12 Aug 86 H-I-1 EGS (Ajisai), JAS-1 (Fuji 1) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Feb 87 M-3SII-3 Astro-C (Ginga) 18 Feb 87 N-II-8 MOS-1 (Momo 1) 27 Aug 87 H-I-2 ETS-5 (Kiku 5) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 Feb 88 H-I-3 CS-3a (Sakura 3a) 16 Sep 88 H-I-4 CS-3b (Sakura 3b) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Feb 89 M-3SII-4 Exos-D (Akebono) 5 Sep 89 H-I-5 GMS-4 (Himawari 4) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 Jan 90 M-3SII-5 Muses-A (Hiten) 7 Feb 90 H-I-6 MOS-1b (Momo 1b), DEBUT (Orizuru), JAS-1b (Fuji 2) 28 Aug 90 H-I-7 BS-3A (Yuri 3A) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 Aug 91 H-I-8 BS-3b (Yuri 3b) 30 Aug 91 M-3SII-6 Solar-A (Yohkoh) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Feb 92 H-I-9 JERS-1 (Fuyo 1) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Feb 93 M-3SII-7 Astro-D (ASCA, Asuka) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Feb 94 H-II TF1 OREX (Ryusei), VEP (Myojo) 28 Aug 94 H-II TF2 ETS-6 (Kiku 6) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *15 Jan 95 M-3SII-8 Express 1 18 Mar 95 H-II2 3F SFU (Space Flyer Unit), GMS-5 (Himawari 5) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^12 Feb 96 J-1-1 HYFLEX 17 Aug 96 H-II 4F ADEOS-1, JAS-2 (Fuji 3) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Feb 97 M-V-1 Muses-B (HALCA, Haruka) 27 Nov 97 H-II 6F ETS-7 (Kiku 7/Hikoboshi, Orihime), TRMM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *21 Feb 98 H-II 5F COMETS-1 (Kakehashi) 3 Jul 98 M-V-2 Planet-B (Nozomi) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *15 Nov 99 H-IIS 8F MTSAT 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *10 Feb 00 M-V-4 Astro-E -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29 Aug 01 H-IIA202 TF1 VEP-2, LRE (Laser Ranging Experiment) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Feb 02 H-IIA2024 TF2 MDS-1, DASH, VEP-3 ^27 Jul 02 S-310-31 147 km alt. ^27 Jul 02 S-310-32 126 km alt. 10 Sep 02 H-IIA2024 F4 Kodama (DRTS), USERS (SEM/REM) 14 Dec 02 H-IIA202 F3 Midori-2 (ADEOS-2), FedSat, WEOS, Micro-LabSat 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 Mar 03 H-IIA2024 F5 IGS 1a (Optical 1), IGS 1b (Radar 1) 9 May 03 M-V-5 Hayabusa (Muses-C) *29 Nov 03 H-IIA2024 F6 IGS 2a, IGS 2b -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^18 Jan 04 S-310-33 Ionosphere ^ 9 Aug 04 S-310-34 Solar Sail deployment at 169 km -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 Feb 05 H-IIA2022 F7 Himawari-6 (MTSAT-1RA) 10 Jul 05 M-V-6 Suzaku (Astro-E2) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^22 Jan 06 S-310-36 Mother-Daughter Satellites 24 Jan 06 H-IIA2022 F8 Daichi (ALOS 1) 18 Feb 06 H-IIA2024 F9 MTSAT 2 21 Feb 06 M-V-8 Akari (Astro-F, IRIS), Cute 1.7 APD, SSP 11 Sep 06 H-IIA202 F10 IGS O-3 22 Sep 06 M-V-7 Hinode (Solar-B, STP-02), HITsat, SSSat 18 Dec 06 H-IIA204 F11 Kiku No.8 (ETS-VIII), SELENE Precursor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^16 Jan 07 S-310-37 Ionosphere Research 24 Feb 07 H-IIA2024 F12 IGS 3b (Radar 2), IGS Optical 3V 14 Sep 07 H-IIA2022 F13 Kaguya (SELENE 1), Okina (RStar), Ouna (VStar) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^ 6 Feb 08 S-310-38 Dimensional Plasma Distribution Oberservation 23 Feb 08 H-IIA2024 F14 Kizuna (WINDS) ^ 2 Aug 08 S-520-24 Crystal growth experiment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 Jan 09 H-IIA202 F15 Ibuki (GOSAT), SDS 1, SOHLA 1, SpriteSat, KKS-1, PRISM, STARS 1 (Kukai), Kagakaki (SorunSAT) 10 Sep 09 H-IIB304 F1 HTV 1 (1 JEM Stwg, 4 Exp Carriers, 2 EF P/Ls, ISPR, SMILES, HREP) 28 Nov 09 H-IIA202 F16 IGS O-4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #17 May 10 H-IIA Akatsuki (Planet-C), IKAROS, Waseda-Sat2, Unitec-1, Negai-Star, AWVONS # Nov 10 H-11A QZS 1 31 Dec 10 H-IIB304 HTV 2 (1 JEM Stwg, 5 Exp Carriers, 2 EF P/Ls, ISPR) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Apr 11 H-IIA Arirang 3 Dec 11 GX F1 VEP1 11 TBD GCOM-W1 11 H-IIB304 HTV 3 (11 Exp Carriers) 11 H-IIA IGS 5a (Optical 4) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 TBD Astro-G 12 H-IIB HTV 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jul 13 H-IIA202 GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) 13 H-IIB HTV 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 H-IIB HTV 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 H-IIB HTV 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Launch Failure ^ Suborbital Mission # Change since beginning of month ASCA Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics ADEOS Advanced Earth Obervation Satellite ALOS Advanced Land Observing Satellite BS Broadcast Satellite COMETS Comunications and Broadcasting Engineering Test Satellite CS Communications Satellite DASH Demonstrator of Atmospheric Reentry System and Hypervelocity GPM/DPR Global Precipitation Measurement/Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar DEBUT Deployable Boom and Umbrella Test DRTS Data Relay and Tracking Satellite EGS Experimental Geodetic Satellite ETS Experimental Test Satellite FY Fiscal Year (1 April year to 31 March year+1) GMS Geostationary Meteorological Satellite GOSAT Greenhouse Gas Observing Satellite GX Galaxy Express HALCA Highly Advanced Laboratory for Communications and Astronomy HITsat Hokkaido Institute of Technology Satellite HREP HICO-RAIDS Experiment Payload HTV H-II Transfer Vehicle HYFLEX Hypersonic Flight Experiment IGS Information Gathering Satellite JAS Japanese Amateur Satellite JERS Japanese Earth Resources Satellite KKS Kouku Kosen Satellite LNG Liquid Natural Gas MDS Mission Demonstration Test Satellite MOS Marine Observation Satellite MS Mu Satellite MTSAT Multipurpose Transportation Satellite Muses Mu Space Engineering Satellite OREX Orbitel Re-entry Experiment PRISM Pico-Satellite for Remote-Sensing and Innovative Space Missions QZS Quasi-Zenith Satellite RStar SELENE Relay Satellite SDS Small Demonstration Satellite SELENE Selenological and Engineering Explorer SMILES Superconducting Submillimetre-Wave Limb Emission Sounder SOHLA Space Oriented Higashiosaka Leading Association SSP Solar Sail Payload (Soraseiru Sabupeiro-do) SSSat Solar Sail Subpayload Satellite STP Solar Terrestrial Probe TRMM Tropical Rainforest Measuring Mission USERS Unmanned Space Experiment Recovery System VStar SELENE VLBI Radio Satellite WEOSS Whale Ecology Observation Satellite WINDS Wideband Internetworking Engineering Test and Demonstration Satellite VEP Vehicle Evaluation Payload