The H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 13 (H-IIA F13) successfully lifted-off from the Tanegashima Space Center at 10:31 a.m. on September 14th (Japan Standard Time, JST) with the Lunar Orbit Explorer KAGUYA (SELENE) aboard. Separation of KAGUYA was confirmed at approximately 45 minutes and 34 seconds after the liftoff.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., and the Japan Exploration Agency (JAXA) combined their forces for this successful event. The H-II Launch Vehicle is Japan’s primary large-scale vehicle and offers a simplified design and improved manufacturing efficiency. The vehicle is 53 meters in length and has a liftoff mass of 285 tons without payload and uses an inertial guidance method. A variety of configurations are possible thanks to the use of solid, strap-on boosters (SSBs).
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