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Lambda (rocket family)
Series of Japanese rockets

Lambda is the name of a series of Japanese carrier rockets. It consisted of the types Lambda 2, LSC-3, Lambda 3, Lambda 3H, Lambda 4S, Lambda 4SC, and Lambda 4T developed jointly by Institute of Industrial Science of the University of Tokyo, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of the University of Tokyo, and Prince Motor Company, which merged with Nissan in 1966.

Lambda series rockets did not have guidance systems, as they had the potential to be converted for offensive military use, thus interpreted as a violation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. However, future Japanese launch vehicles, such as the H-II, were allowed to have guidance systems.

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Configurations

Lambda types differ regarding the upper stages used. The following table shows the actual configurations:19

TypeBoostersStage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4
Lambda 2-L-735K-420--
Lambda 3-L-735K-420Kappa-8-
Lambda 3H-L-735L-735(1/3)L-500-
Lambda 4S2 × SB-310L-735L-735(1/3)L-500L-480S
Lambda 4SC2 × SB-310L-735L-735(1/3)L-500L-480S
Lambda 4T2 × SB-310L-735L-735(1/3)L-500L-480S

Launches

Lambda rockets were launched by ISAS, from Kagoshima pad L.2021

On February 11, 1970, the first Japanese satellite Ohsumi was launched using a Lambda 4S rocket.

The Lambda 4S was launched nine times, though five were failures.2223 The first launch of the Lambda 4S rocket took place on September 26, 1966, from Kagoshima.24 A fourth-stage attitude control failed resulting in loss of the vehicle and payload.

List of Lambda launches
DateVersionApogee (km)Mission
1963 August 24Lambda 251Failure
1963 December 11Lambda 2410Ionosphere mission
1964 July 11Lambda 3857Ionosphere mission
1965 January 31Lambda 31040Ionosphere mission
1965 March 18Lambda 31085X-ray astronomy mission
1966 March 5Lambda 3H1829X-ray astronomy mission
1966 July 23Lambda 3H1800Gyro-plasma probe Ionosphere / aeronomy mission
1966 September 26Lambda 4S400Ohsumi launch attempt. Failure: Fourth stage attitude control failed
1966 December 20Lambda 4S400Ohsumi launch attempt. Failure: Fourth stage failed to ignite
1967 February 6Lambda 3H2150Ionosphere / chemical release / x-ray astronomy mission
1967 April 13Lambda 4S200Ohsumi launch attempt. Failure: Fourth stage failed to ignite
1969 January 16Lambda 3H1800Ionosphere mission
1969 September 3Lambda 4T400Test mission
1969 September 22Lambda 4S400Ohsumi launch attempt. Failure: Fourth stage control system malfunction after third stage collided with fourth stage
1970 January 21Lambda 3H1848Ionosphere / plasma mission
1970 February 11Lambda 4S2440Ohsumi (first successful satellite of Japan, fifth attempt of Lambda 4S)
1970 September 19Lambda 3H2017X-ray / ultraviolet astronomy mission
1971 August 20Lambda 4SC1500Failure
1971 September 3Lambda 3H1718Aeronomy / ionosphere / x-ray astronomy mission
1973 January 28Lambda 4SC1500TVC test
1974 January 22Lambda 3H1571St 2: 329 km X-ray astronomy mission
1974 September 1Lambda 4SC1500TVC test
1976 August 30Lambda 4SC1500Radar transponder
1977 August 16Lambda 3H1294Aeronomy / ionosphere / plasma mission
1979 September 20Lambda 4SC82TVC test

References

  1. "Lambda". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-09. http://www.astronautix.com/l/lambda.html ↩

  2. Krebs, Gunter D (2024). "L class". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-02-20. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/l-class.htm ↩

  3. "Lambda 2". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-09. http://www.astronautix.com/l/lambda2.html ↩

  4. Krebs, Gunter D (2024). "L class". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-02-20. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/l-class.htm ↩

  5. "LSC-3". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-09. http://www.astronautix.com/l/lsc-3.html ↩

  6. "Lambda 3". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-09. http://www.astronautix.com/l/lambda3.html ↩

  7. Krebs, Gunter D (2024). "L class". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-02-20. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/l-class.htm ↩

  8. Krebs, Gunter D (2024). "L class". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-02-20. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/l-class.htm ↩

  9. "Lambda 3H". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2024-02-20. http://www.astronautix.com/l/lambda3h.html ↩

  10. Krebs, Gunter D (2024). "L class". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-02-20. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/l-class.htm ↩

  11. "Lambda 4S". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2024-02-20. http://www.astronautix.com/l/lambda4s.html ↩

  12. "L-4S". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-02-20. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/l-4s.htm ↩

  13. Krebs, Gunter D (2024). "L class". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-02-20. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/l-class.htm ↩

  14. "Lambda 4SC". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2024-02-20. http://www.astronautix.com/l/lambda4sc.html ↩

  15. Krebs, Gunter D (2024). "L class". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-02-20. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/l-class.htm ↩

  16. "Lambda 4T". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2024-02-20. http://www.astronautix.com/l/lambda4t.html ↩

  17. "A short history of the Prince Motor Co., Ltd". Nissan. Retrieved 2020-08-31. https://www.nissan-global.com/EN/HERITAGE/short_story/en_p33-01.html ↩

  18. "H-II Launch Vehicle". JAXA. Retrieved 2021-01-01. https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/h2/index.html ↩

  19. Krebs, Gunter D (2024). "L class". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-02-20. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/l-class.htm ↩

  20. "Lambda". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-09. http://www.astronautix.com/l/lambda.html ↩

  21. Krebs, Gunter D (2024). "L class". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-02-20. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/l-class.htm ↩

  22. "Lambda 4". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-09. http://www.astronautix.com/l/lambda4.html ↩

  23. "L-4S". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-02-20. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/l-4s.htm ↩

  24. "Lambda 4S". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-09. http://www.astronautix.com/l/lambda4s.html ↩