Acta Astronautica 59 (2006) 381–391 www.elsevier.com/locate/actaastro

Overview of GX launch services by GALEX Koji Sato∗, Yoshirou Kondou

Galaxy Express Corporation, Tokyo, Japan

Available online 19 May 2006

Abstract Galaxy Express Corporation (GALEX) is a launch service company in Japan to develop a medium size , GX rocket and to provide commercial launch services for medium/small low Earth (LEO) and Sun synchronous orbit (SSO) payloads with a future potential for small geo-stationary transfer orbit (GTO). It is GALEX’s view that small/medium LEO/SSO payloads compose of medium scaled but stable launch market due to the nature of the missions. GX rocket is a two-stage rocket of well flight proven (LOX)/kerosene booster and LOX/liquid natural gas (LNG) upper stage. This LOX/LNG propulsion under development by Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is robust with comparable performance as other propulsions and have future potential for wider application such as exploration programs. GX rocket is being developed through a joint work between the industries and GX rocket is applying a business oriented approach in order to realize competitive launch services for which well flight proven hardware and necessary new technology are to be introduced as much as possible. It is GALEX’s goal to offer “Easy Access to Space”, a highly reliable and user-friendly launch services with a competitive price. GX commercial launch will start in Japanese fiscal year (JFY) 2007–2008. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Background of GX rocket (R&D) budget was filed to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to start the R&D as “Advance Technology The origin of GX rocket can be traced back to Demonstration Rocket Program” from JFY1998. At JFY1995 when former National Space Development that time, Japanese industries team headed by IHI de- Agency of Japan (NASDA) started a concept study of cided to commercialize this vehicle after the develop- J-I improved, a small/medium which ment by NASDA is completed. However, this step-up could meet the need of commercial launch services in to R&D phase was suspended because of a H-II launch 21st century as an alternative of so called J-I rocket failure that happened in November 1997. NASDA had which development program was criticized as tax wast- to concentrate on the failure investigation and until the ing program by the government auditing organization. countermeasure/improvement plan was established and This alternative research study program steadily con- there was no room to start any new vehicle program tinued for several years step by step and reached to the under a such critical situation. Thus this program con- point in JFY1997 to finalize the configuration which tinued to remain in the research phase in the following Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (IHI) years. In JYF2000, Ministry of Economics, Trade and proposed, and necessary research and development Industries (METI) decided to support this program from view point of space industrialization from JFY2001. ∗ Corresponding author. At this stage, it was agreed that the responsibility of E-mail addresses: [email protected] (K. Sato), total development of this rocket was transferred to the [email protected] (Y. Kondou). industries and METI and MEXT are to support the

0094-5765/$ - see front matter © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2006.02.029 382 K. Sato, Y. Kondou / Acta Astronautica 59 (2006) 381–391 development for their work share. Galaxy Express Cor- • to sell GX rocket hardware, poration (GALEX) was established in March 2001 to • to construct and operate launch site facilities and carry out the development of GX rocket and the actual other related facilities, development started from JFY2002. • to provide other engineering services related to launch vehicles. 2. Outline of GALEX IHI and IA that is a 100% subsidiary of IHI, occupy almost half of the total share and play major role in GX GALEX was established on 27 March 2001 by business. several Japanese industries to carry out the GX devel- opment and to provide GX launch services after its development is completed. 3. GALEX organization Originally GALEX’s shareholders are six Japanese space related companies but later one more Japanese GALEX is a services company to interface with company NT Space and a U.S. aerospace company, launch service customers and it is very important to be (LM) Corporation joined GALEX as responsive to customers’ requests. shareholders. So, GALEX has a simple and less layer organization The outline of GALEX is as follows as of first July in order to realize quick decision and smooth business 2005: operation for customers. There are two major groups in the organization: one (1) Established date: 27 March 2005. is for engineering/quality control function and another (2) Paid-in capital: 472 million yen (appx. US$4.2 mil- is for other administrative function including marketing. lion). Fig. 1 shows GALEX’s present organization. As GX (3) Stock shareholders (9 companies): program is in development phase, engineering group consists of engineers for the development. • Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. However, GALEX is gradually changing the organi- (IHI): Aerospace manufacturer. zation by putting more weight towards mission integra- • IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd. (IA): Aerospace manufac- tion and launch operation so that we can be ready to turer. provide launch services as soon as its development is • Mitsubishi Corporation (MC): Trading company. over. • Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (KHI): Aerospace manufacturer. 4. GX rocket • Japan Aviations Electronics Co. (JAE): Aerospace electronics company. 4.1. Specification • Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI): Aerospace manu- facturer. GX rocket is a two-stage vehicle of well flight proven • Kokusai AeroMarine Co., Ltd. (KAM): Customs bro- liquid oxygen (LOX)/kerosene booster and LOX/liquid ker/forwarder. natural gas (LNG) upper stage. • NEC Toshiba Space Systems Company (NTSSS): GX rocket is to provide commercial launch services manufacturer. for medium/small (LEO) and Sun syn- • Lockheed Martin Overseas Corporation (LMOC): chronous orbit (SSO) payloads through the world (with U.S. Aerospace manufacturer. a potential for launching small geo-stationary trans- fer orbit (GTO) ones as future business expansion). (4) The number of employees: 44. Table 1 shows its major specification. (5) Offices Fig. 2 shows two configurations for GX rocket, de- • Headquarters: at 1-18-16 Hamamatsucho Minatoku, pending upon the fairing diameter. Tokyo 105-0013, Japan. GX first stage is basically application of Alas-III • Three branch offices in Japan. booster equipped with powerful and reliable Russian engine RD-180. (6) The articles of corporation: LM’s rocket family has been accumulating • to provide commercial launch services with GX continuous success of more than 77 launches up to rocket, date which is the unmatched record in the world for Download English Version: https://daneshyari.com/en/article/1717405

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