Lockheed
Martin, Japanese Companies Looking To Form Launch Vehicle Company
Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy
Industries Co. (IHI), is in talks with Lockheed Martin Corp. and
five other firms to form a new launch vehicle company, in Japan.
The other partners include Mitsubishi Corp., Kawasaki Heavy
Industries Ltd., Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Ltd. (JAE),
Aerojet, and IHI's wholly owned subsidiary, IHI Aerospace Co.,
which is scheduled to take over the aerospace and defense division
of Nissan Motor Co. on July 1. IHI, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
and Nissan’s space division were contractors for the J-1, which
has made one sub-orbital flight, in 1996.
Artists Conception of the J-1U (J-2)
The J-2 rocket (also known as
J-1U rocket) is planned to be a two-stage vehicle that can place a
3000 kg communication into a 200 km low-Earth-orbit. The first
stage is apparently based on a subscale Atlas stage, designed by
Lockheed Martin and powered by a pair of NK-33 engines supplied
through Aerojet. The second stage would be built by Mitsubishi and
powered by an IHI supplied engine burning liquid oxygen and
methane. JAE would be in charge of the avionics and Kawasaki would
supply the payload fairing. IHI is the prime contractor.
It
is reported that the new venture will provide NASDA with about
one-third of the estimated US$370 million (¥40
billion) it will cost to redesign the J-1, with the other two
thirds being provided by the National Space Development Agency of
Japan (NASDA). The first launch is scheduled for 2004.
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