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Mu-3S-II
27.8m
Human (1.8m)
1.8m
Mu-3S-II / Credits: Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons)
JapanRetired1980–1995
Mu-3S-II
ISAS / Nissan Motors
Japan's science rocket that launched the Suisei and Sakigake probes to intercept Halley's Comet in 1986.
Mu-3S-II (M-3S-II) was an all-solid four-stage rocket developed by ISAS (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science) in cooperation with Nissan Motors. Its most celebrated missions were the launch of Suisei and Sakigake — the first Japanese deep-space probes — which flew past Halley's Comet in 1986 as part of the international armada of spacecraft studying the comet.
Fun facts
Launched Japan's first deep-space probes — Suisei and Sakigake — to Halley's Comet in 1986.
Developed partly by Nissan Motors, who built the solid rocket motors.
Predecessor to the Epsilon rocket, continuing Japan's all-solid launch vehicle tradition.
Height
27.8 m
Diameter
1.41 m
Mass
61.7 t
Stages
4
Thrust
1,323 kN
Payload LEO
770 kg
Payload GTO
—
Total flights
8
Success rate87.5%
7 success1 failure
Launch pads
- Kagoshima Space Center, Japan
No upcoming launches scheduled.
