View source for GX (rocket)

{{Short description|Japanese-American launch vehicle}}
{{other uses|GX (disambiguation)|Galaxy Express (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox rocket
|name = Galaxy Express (GX)
|image = GX rocket.jpg
|caption = GX (Shown with Atlas III first stage as in early development)
|function = Medium expendable [[Launch vehicle]]
|manufacturer = [[Galaxy Express Corporation|Galaxy Express]] ([[JAXA]]/[[United Launch Alliance|ULA]]/[[IHI Corporation|IHI]])
|country-origin = Japan/United States
|height = {{convert|48|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|diameter = {{convert|3.3|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|mass = {{convert|190,500|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|stages = 2
|capacities =  <!--insert one of the following templates for each payload:-->
  {{Infobox rocket/payload
  |location =  [[Low Earth orbit|LEO]]
  |kilos    =  {{cvt|3,600|kg}}
  }}
  {{Infobox rocket/payload
  |location =  800km [[Sun-synchronous orbit|SSO]]
  |kilos    =  {{cvt|1,814|kg}}
  }}
|status = Cancelled 2010
|sites = [[Vandenberg Air Force Base|Vandenberg]] [[Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 3|SLC-3E]]
|stagedata    =  
  {{Infobox rocket/stage
  |type       =  stage
  |stageno    =  First
  |name       =  [[Common Core Booster|Atlas CCB]]
  |engines    =  1 [[RD-180]]
  |thrust     =  {{cvt|4,152|kN}}
  |SI         =  {{convert|311|isp}}
  |burntime   =  253 seconds
  |fuel       =  [[RP-1]]/[[Liquid oxygen|LOX]]
  }}
  {{Infobox rocket/stage
  |type       =  stage
  |stageno    =  Second
  |name       =  GX
  |engines    =  1 LE-8
  |thrust     =  {{cvt|118|kN}}
  |SI         =  {{convert|323|isp}}
  |burntime   =  480 seconds
  |fuel       =  [[Liquefied natural gas|LNG]]/[[Liquid oxygen|LOX]]
  }}
}}

'''GX''' was a design for an [[expendable launch system]] intended to compete in the commercial [[satellite]] launch sector. The system had developed by '''Galaxy Express Corporation''', a joint venture between [[IHI Corporation]] (IHI), the [[Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency]] (JAXA), [[United Launch Alliance]] (ULA), [[Lockheed Martin Corporation]] (LM) and several other Japanese companies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.galaxy-express.co.jp/english/company-e.html |title=Galaxy Express Company Profile |publisher=GALEX |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421130914/http://www.galaxy-express.co.jp/english/company-e.html |archivedate=2009-04-21 }}</ref>

The GX design uses a two-stage [[rocket]]. The first stage would have been the Atlas [[Common Core Booster]], currently used as the first stage of the [[Atlas V]] rocket, which would have been provided by United Launch Alliance.<ref name="ULA-Card">{{cite web|url=http://www.ulalaunch.com/docs/product_sheet/GXProductCard.pdf|title=GX Launch Vehicle|publisher=United Launch Alliance|accessdate=2009-05-07}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The second stage was to be a newly designed stage produced by IHI, using [[liquefied natural gas]] as fuel and [[liquid oxygen]] as an oxidizer. The GX would have been the only space vehicle to use that combination of fuel and oxidizer.

The Japanese government finally abandoned the GX program in December 2009. Galaxy Express disbanded around March 2010.<ref name="istock">{{cite news|url=http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3787500|title=IHI to liquidate GX rocket venture after govt pullout|publisher=iStock Analyst|date=2010-01-16|accessdate=2010-01-31|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013041859/http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3787500|archivedate=2010-10-13}}</ref><ref name="kyodo">{{cite news|url=http://noticias.aol.com/articulos/_a/kyodo-economic-news-summary-6-/n20100129083709990011|title=Kyodo economic news summary -6-+|date=2010-01-29|accessdate=2010-01-31}}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

== History ==
The GX program began as an effort to upgrade Japan's [[J-I]] rocket, which launched only once. Thus, GX was originally known as '''J-II''', albeit briefly. For a time, the program was termed '''J1-Upgrade''', before finally settling on the current name in January 2003.

JAXA reported that a full-scale second-stage engine had been successfully test-fired in October 2007. JAXA was developing this engine, the responsibility for which was planned to eventually be turned over to the Galaxy Express venture.

In late December 2007, The [[Yomiuri Shimbun]] newspaper reported that the GX program was being subjected to a thorough review, mainly because of unexpectedly high additional costs. It also erroneously claimed that ULA partner Lockheed Martin had discontinued production of the first stage engine, thereby requiring a redesign, likely costly, to move to another engine.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} 
The paper said{{when|date=December 2013}} that the 15 billion yen that JAXA requested for the GX project was eventually slashed to 5.6 billion yen in the Fiscal 2008 budget.

It was originally designed to use an [[Atlas III]] first stage, and to be launched from [[Tanegashima Space Center|Tanegashima]] in Japan, however this was abandoned in 2009{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} in favour of the CCB configuration.

In May 2008, it was reported that the Space Development Committee, who are overseeing the project, were considering its cancellation. In November 2009, the Japanese [[Government Administration Reform Committee]] recommended that funding for the second-stage engine be halted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spacenews.com/civil/091120-japan-rocket-targeted-for-cancellation.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120915094900/http://www.spacenews.com/civil/091120-japan-rocket-targeted-for-cancellation.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 15, 2012 |title=Japan's GX Rocket Targeted For Cancellation in 2010 |date=2009-11-20 |publisher=Space News}}</ref>

In December 2009, Japanese government decided to cancel the GX project.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3716870 |title=Japan scraps GX rocket development project |publisher=iStockAnalyst |date=2009-12-16 |accessdate=2009-12-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306095016/http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3716870 |archivedate=2014-03-06 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Japan's New GX Rocket Targeted for Cancellation in 2010|date=December 5, 2009|url=https://www.space.com/7633-japan-gx-rocket-targeted-cancellation-2010.html|website=space.com|access-date=May 7, 2023}}</ref> Development of the LNG propulsion system will continue for other projects.

In January 2010, IHI determined to disband Galaxy Express. The dissolution resulted in a one-off accounting loss of 11.3 billion yen.<ref name="istock" /><ref name="kyodo" />

==Galaxy Express Corporation==
{{nihongo|'''Galaxy Express Corporation'''|株式会社ギャラクシーエクスプレス|Kabushikigaisha Gyarakushīekusupuresu}} (GALEX) was a Japanese company which intended to develop the GX rocket.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.galaxy-express.co.jp/english/index-e.html|title=Galaxy Express Introduction |publisher=GALEX|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512140450/http://www.galaxy-express.co.jp/english/index-e.html|archive-date=2009-05-12|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web |url=http://www.spacenews.com/civil/091120-japan-rocket-targeted-for-cancellation.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120915094900/http://www.spacenews.com/civil/091120-japan-rocket-targeted-for-cancellation.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 15, 2012 |title=Japan's GX Rocket Targeted For Cancellation in 2010 |date=November 20, 2009 |publisher=Space News |access-date=November 25, 2009}}</ref> 
GALEX was established on 27 March 2001.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Overview of GX launch services by GALEX|author1=Koji Sato|author2=Yoshirou Kondou |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576506001160|journal=Acta Astronautica|volume=59|date=July–September 2006|issue=1–5 |pages=381–391|doi=10.1016/j.actaastro.2006.02.029 |bibcode=2006AcAau..59..381S |access-date=May 7, 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref> GALEX disbanded around March 2010.<ref name="istock"/>

=== Shareholders ===
As of November 2009, the shareholders of the company were:<!--As listed in company website. Possibly in order of shareholding ratio?--><ref name=prof>
{{cite web|url=http://www.galaxy-express.co.jp/english/company-e.html|title=Galaxy Express Company Profile |access-date=November 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421130914/http://www.galaxy-express.co.jp/english/company-e.html |archive-date=2009-04-21 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[IHI Corporation]] (IHI)
* IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd. (IA)
* [[Mitsubishi Corporation]] (MC)
* [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]], Ltd. (KHI)
* [[Japan Aviation Electronics]] Industry, Limited (JAE)
* [[Fuji Heavy Industries]] Ltd. (FHI)
* Kokusai AeroMarine Co., Ltd. (KAM)
* [[NEC]] Corporation (NEC)
* [[Lockheed Martin]] Overseas Corporation (LMOC)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cite web |url=http://www.galaxy-express.co.jp/english/index-e.html |title=Galaxy Express |accessdate=2005-08-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050828232331/http://www.galaxy-express.co.jp/english/index-e.html |archivedate=2005-08-28 }}

{{Atlas rockets}}
{{Japanese launch systems}}
{{US launch systems}}
{{Expendable launch systems}}
{{RD-170 rocket engine family}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gx (Rocket)}}
[[Category:Space launch vehicles of Japan]]
[[Category:Atlas (rocket family)]]