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L-4S Satellite Launch Vehicles

L-4S Satellite Launch Vehicles

The L(Lambda)-4S rocket was the first rocket to be used by Japan to send a satellite into earth orbit. The L-4S project was to simulate the procedures and to demonstrate the capabilities for satellite insertion into orbit for the Mu project. The L-4S rocket system was a four-stage, all-solid propellant rocket.

Mission by L-4S Launch Vehicle

The L-4S-5 launch vehicle is described as follows

    1st st. SOB 2nd st. 3rd st. 4th st.
Total length m 16.522 5.772 8.141 4.067 1.104
Weight (ig.) kg 9399.0 1005.0 3417.6 943.1 111.0
Weight (b.o.) kg 4507.0 381.0 1562.5 394.9 23.05
Propellant weight kg 3887.0 624.0 1845.0 547.5 87.95
Mass ratio   1.982 2.187 2.388 4.816
Specific Impulse sec 215.0 220.0 242.9 249.3 254.0
Center of gravity (ig.) % 59.0 52.9 63.0 61.8 64.5
Center of gravity (b.o.) % 43.2 54.3 49.6 44.8 55.7
Ix (ig.) kg.m.sec2 79.89 25.48 3.52 0.259
Iy (b.o.) kg.m.sec2 16192 1259.4 99.71 0.436
Net payload kg     6.6 36.3 7.62
Gross payload kg     7.6 96.1 8.42
Maximum diameter mm 767.0 310.0 767.0 548.0 483.0