Japan launches world's smallest rocket ever to carry satellite into orbit

Japan, Feb 05: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has successfully launched the smallest-ever rocket to carry a satellite into orbit, a modest SS-520 sounding rocket modified with a third stage inside its nose cone to get its payload into orbit.

The launch of the low-cost rocket — with a height of 10 metres and 53 centimetres in diameter — took place from the Uchinoura Space Centre in Kagoshima prefecture and was aired live on YouTube, Efe news reported.



The rocket, an improved version of JAXA's SS-520, was carrying a micro-satellite weighing three kilograms and was developed by the University of Tokyo to capture images of the Earth's surface.

JAXA had launched the first of these rockets on January 2017, which fell into the sea after launch due to short-circuit caused by vibrations during take-off.

The current launch aimed to test the ability of the Japanese aerospace agency to launch low-cost rockets that can put microsatellites into space at affordable rates against a background of growing demand from the private sector.

Satellites for weather observation or defense that are in use are normally large and are commissioned by the authorities.

According to Japanese news reports, the agency used commercially available components found in home electronics and smartphones for the rocket to lower the launch cost.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has also announced plans to develop small rockets to meet the growing demand for vehicles to take small satellites into space.

Its Chairman, K. Sivan, has reportedly said that ISRO is planning to develop a small launch vehicle that could be assembled in just three days, will cost one-tenth the cost of conventional launch vehicles, and will be much lighter.