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Space Exploration's Information in Asia

Update


A great progress for space exploration in Asia has been made than expectation these years. The purpose of this web site is to introduce the present situation objectively.

Free Border	Space exploration, especially in terms of Asian case to be discussed.
News	A Chinese CZ-4B rocket delivered ZY-2B into space

The business market for rocket launching is quite competitive recently. Right now the representative launching vehicles in the world, which have achieved great successes, are Long March of China, Ariane of Europe, Proton, Zenit of Russia, as well as Atlas & Delta of USA. Ariane has got about half of the share of the market at present. America has to re-start to utilize the original rocket, which was given up to use for a time after the explosion of space shuttle Challenger, but the development for large size rocket is not going smoothly. On the other hand, Russia has made an obvious progress in business and the share of market is increasing greatly. In Asia, the Long March of China, with high performance and low cost as well as excellent stability on these years, got 10% of the share for the business launching in the world. In order to take part in the competition in the world, Japan is rapidly developing a new kind of rocket H2A model at low cost. And India is also entering the global competition with large size rocket.

CZ3B*1 GTO Capacity:5.2t Length:55m Weight:426 t China Up to use:1996

H-2*2 GTO Capacity:4t Length:50m Weight:260ｔ Japan Up to use:1994

PSLV*3 GTO Capacity:2.5t Length:49m Weight:401ｔ India Up to use:2001

*1 CZ3B(Long March 3B) is a kind of rocket developed for launching large synchronous communication satellites. Its launching ability in Asia is the best. Up to now it succeeded in business-launching communication satellites for four times, such as Philippine’s MABUHAYSat. And now it has got the new contract for launching for Intersat, etc. Long March rocket has a seies of various types, which is the only rocket family for actual business launching in Asian country.(CZ is the first letters for Long March in Chinese words; it is also called LM in overseas.

*2 H-2 is a kind of rocket with high performance developed and made in Japan completely. It has splendid techniques, however, it is quite difficult for it to enter the business competition due to its high cost. Also, it failed in launching continuous in 1998 and 1999, which caused some problem such as stability. So it has got to be stopped to use any more. From then on, a new model H-2A has been developed, which is being paid attention to its low cost, in order to take part in launching for business competition in the world.

*3 GSLV is also kind of rocket developed for launching synchronous communication satellites by India. It took 10 years, and 300 million dollars was invested. Now India is showing the aspiration for business launching communication satellites in the world market. The characteristic is that it >uses solid propellant for the main engine in its first stage. But the re-firing engine for entering Geo stationary transfer orbit is still used which is made by Russia. The same engine is supposed to fulfill to be made in India in 2003.



*1 Proton is a kind of rocket with the ability of payload 21 ton to LEO orbit. Its ability can be improved to enter Geo stationary transfer orbit with payload 4.8 ton by an additional the fourth stage engine.
*2 The payload of Titan4B is the heaviest in the USA rockets right now. Because of its high cost, it is only used for launching military satellites, except for business purpose.
*3 Zenit2 rocket, which was developed in Soviet Union period, is now under the management of Ukraine. It is used for launching on the sea near the equator, with the payload 4.8 ton to enter Geo stationary transfer orbit.

Favorite web sites: China space NSDA Indian space research organization NASA Russia space Ariane space Advisement