View source for N-II (rocket)

{{Short description|Space launch vehicle}}
{{Infobox Rocket
|image=N-II.svg
|caption = The N-II rocket
|function       =  [[Carrier rocket]]
|manufacturer   =  [[McDonnell Douglas]] (design)<br>[[Mitsubishi Heavy Industries]] (production)
|country-origin =  United States (design)<br>Japan (production)
|height       =  {{convert|35|m|ft}}
|diameter     =  {{convert|2.44|m|ft}}
|mass         =  {{convert|132690|kg|lb}}
|stages       =  2 or 3
|capacities =  
{{Infobox Rocket/Payload
|location =  [[Low Earth orbit|LEO]]
|kilos    =  {{convert|2000|kg|lb}}
}}
{{Infobox Rocket/Payload
|location =  [[Geosynchronous transfer orbit|GTO]]
|kilos    =  {{convert|730|kg|lb}}
}}
|family      =  [[Delta rocket|Delta]]
|status   =  Retired
|sites    =  [[Tanegashima Space Center|Tanegashima]], [[Osaki Launch Complex|Osaki]]
|launches =  8
|success  =  8
|first    =  11 February 1981
|last     =  19 February 1987

|stagedata    = 
{{Infobox Rocket/Stage
|type       =  booster
|name       =  [[Castor (rocket)|Castor 2]]
|number     =  9
|engines    =  1 [[TX-354-3]]
|thrust     =  {{convert|258.9|kN|lbf}}
|SI         =  262 sec
|burntime   =  37 seconds
|fuel       =  [[Solid rocket|Solid]]
}}
{{Infobox Rocket/Stage
|type       =  stage
|stageno    =  First
|name       =  [[Thor (rocket)|Thor-ELT]]
|engines    =  1 [[MB-3-3]]
|thrust     =  {{convert|866.7|kN|lbf}}
|SI         =  290 sec
|burntime   =  270 seconds
|fuel       =  [[RP-1]]/[[LOX]]
}}
{{Infobox Rocket/Stage
|type       =  stage
|name       =  [[Delta-F]]
|stageno    =  Second
|engines    =  1 [[AJ-10|AJ-10-118F]]
|thrust     =  {{convert|41.3|kN|lbf}}
|SI         =  280 sec
|burntime   =  335 seconds
|fuel       =  [[Nitric acid|HNO<sub>3</sub>]]/[[UDMH]]
}}
{{Infobox Rocket/Stage
|type       =  stage
|name       =  [[Star-37E]]
|stageno    =  Third
|diff       =  optional
|engines    =  1 [[solid rocket|solid]]
|thrust     =  {{convert|68|kN|lbf}}
|SI         =  284 sec
|burntime   =  42 seconds
|fuel       =  [[solid rocket|Solid]]
}}
{{Infobox Rocket/Stage
|type       =  stage
|name       =  [[Burner (rocket stage)|Burner-2]]
|stageno    =  Third
|diff       =  alternative, optional
|engines    =  1 [[solid rocket|solid]]
|thrust     =  {{convert|43.6|kN|lbf}}
|SI         =  285 sec
|burntime   =  42 seconds
|fuel       =  [[solid rocket|Solid]]
}}
}}

The '''N-II''' or '''N-2''' was a derivative of the American [[Delta rocket|Delta]] rocket, produced under licence in Japan. It replaced the [[N-I (rocket)|N-I]]-rocket in Japanese use. It used a [[Thor (rocket)|Thor-ELT]] first stage, a Delta-F second stage, nine [[Castor (rocket)|Castor]] SRMs, and on most flights either a [[Star-37E]] or [[Burner (rocket stage)|Burner-2]] upper stage, identical to the US Delta 0100 series configurations. Eight were launched between 1981 and 1987, before it was replaced by the [[H-I]], which featured Japanese-produced upper stages. All eight launches were successful.

==Launch history==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Flight No.
! scope="col" | Date / time ([[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]])
! scope="col" | Rocket, <br /> Configuration
! scope="col" | Launch site
! scope="col" | Payload
! scope="col" | Payload mass
! scope="col" | Orbit
! scope="col" | Customer
! scope="col" | Launch <br /> outcome
|-
! scope="row" rowspan = 2 style="text-align:center;|7(F)
| 11 February 1981<br>08:30
| 
|[[Tanegashima Space Center|Tanegashima]]
| [[ETS-4]] ([[Kiku-3]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/ets4/|title=JAXA {{!}} Engineering Test Satellite IV "KIKU-3" (ETS-IV)|website=JAXA {{!}} Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency|language=en|access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref>
| 
| [[Geosynchronous transfer orbit|GTO]]
|
| {{Success}}
|-
| colspan="8" |
|-
! scope="row" rowspan = 2 style="text-align:center;|8(F)
| 10 August 1981<br>20:03
| 
|[[Tanegashima Space Center|Tanegashima]]
| [[GMS-2]] ([[Himawari-2]])<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/gms/|title=JAXA {{!}} Geostationary Meteorological Satellite "Himawari" (GMS)|website=JAXA {{!}} Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency|language=en|access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref>
| 
| [[Geosynchronous transfer orbit|GTO]]
|
| {{Success}}
|-
| colspan="8" |
|-
! scope="row" rowspan = 2 style="text-align:center;|10(F)
| 4 February 1983<br>08:37
| 
|[[Tanegashima Space Center|Tanegashima]]
| [[CS-2A]] ([[Sakura-2A]])<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/cs/|title=JAXA {{!}} Communication Satellite "Sakura" (CS)|website=JAXA {{!}} Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency|language=en|access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref>
| 
| [[Geosynchronous transfer orbit|GTO]]
|
| {{Success}}
|-
| colspan="8" |
|-
! scope="row" rowspan = 2 style="text-align:center;|11(F)
| 5 August 1983<br>20:29
| 
|[[Tanegashima Space Center|Tanegashima]]
| [[CS-2B]] ([[Sakura-2B]])<ref name=":1" />
| 
| [[Geosynchronous transfer orbit|GTO]]
|
| {{Success}}
|-
| colspan="8" |
|-
! scope="row" rowspan = 2 style="text-align:center;|12(F)
| 23 January 1984<br>07:58
| 
|[[Tanegashima Space Center|Tanegashima]]
| [[BS-2A]] ([[Yuri-2A]])<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/bs/|title=JAXA {{!}} Broadcasting Satellite "Yuri" (BS)|website=JAXA {{!}} Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency|language=en|access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref>
| 
| [[Geosynchronous transfer orbit|GTO]]
|
| {{Success}}
|-
| colspan="8" |
|-
! scope="row" rowspan = 2 style="text-align:center;|13(F)
| 2 August 1984<br>20:30
| 
|[[Tanegashima Space Center|Tanegashima]]
| [[GMS-3]] ([[Himawari-3]])<ref name=":0" />
| 
| [[Geosynchronous transfer orbit|GTO]]
|
| {{Success}}
|-
| colspan="8" |
|-
! scope="row" rowspan = 2 style="text-align:center;|14(F)
| 12 February 1986<br>07:55
| 
|[[Tanegashima Space Center|Tanegashima]]
| [[BS-2B]] ([[Yuri-2B]])<ref name=":2" />
| 
| [[Geosynchronous transfer orbit|GTO]]
|
| {{Success}}
|-
| colspan="8" |
|-
! scope="row" rowspan = 2 style="text-align:center;|16(F)
| 19 February 1987<br>01:23
| 
|[[Tanegashima Space Center|Tanegashima]]
| [[MOS-1 (satellite)|MOS-1 (Momo-1)]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/mos1/|title=JAXA {{!}} Marine Observation Satellite-1 "Momo-1" (MOS-1)|website=JAXA {{!}} Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency|language=en|access-date=2020-03-16}}</ref>
| 
| [[Low Earth orbit|LEO]]
|
| {{Success}}
|-
| colspan="8" |
|-
|}

==See also==
*[[Comparison of orbital launchers families]]
*[[Delta rocket]]
*[[H-I]]
*[[H-II]]
*[[H-IIA]]
*[[N-I rocket]]
*[[PGM-17 Thor]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/delta.htm|title=Delta|first=Mark|last=Wade|publisher=[[Encyclopedia Astronautica]]|access-date=2008-08-31|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817180906/http://astronautix.com/lvs/delta.htm|archive-date=2013-08-17}}
*{{cite web|url=http://planet4589.org/space/lvdb/launch/Thor|title=Thor|first=Jonathan|last=McDowell|work=Orbital and Suborbital Launch Database|publisher=[[Jonathan's Space Report]]|access-date=2008-08-31|archive-date=2020-08-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801135201/http://planet4589.org/space/lvdb/launch/Thor|url-status=dead}}
*{{cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/n-2.htm|title=N-2|first=Gunter|last=Krebs|publisher=Gunter's Space Page|access-date=2008-08-31}}

{{Mitsubishi Heavy Industries}}
{{Expendable launch systems}}
{{Japanese launch systems}}
{{Thor and Delta rockets}}

[[Category:Mitsubishi Heavy Industries space launch vehicles]]
[[Category:Thor (rocket family)]]
[[Category:Vehicles introduced in 1981]]
[[Category:Japan–United States relations]]


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