Ballooning activities in Japan

The Scientific Balloon Center of ISAS/JAXA has carried out two balloon campaigns at Sanriku, Iwate, Japan every year. Ten to twelve balloon vehicles are launched annually for scientific and engineering experiments. Since 2005, a Brazilian balloon campaign has also been conducted in cooperation with INPE. In the 2006 Brazilian campaign, large and heavy payloads up to 1500 kg for astronomy will be launched. New generation balloons, such as super-pressure balloons and high-altitude balloons with ultra-thin films, are being developed. The current status and prospect of the Japanese scientific ballooning are discussed.     

The second stage propulsion system for N-launch vehicle

The pressure-fed second stage propulsion system for N-launch vehicle provides 53,348 N (5440 kg) thrust for about 250 sec at an Isp of 290.2 sec. Aluminum tanks, integral with vehicle structure, carry a minimum of 4.7 ton propellant combination of N₂O₄ and Aerozine 50. The gimbaled engine consists of a regenerative cooled chamber, ablative nozzle spacer, and a radiation cooled nozzle extension with an exit area ratio of 26. Utmost utilization of domestically available technology and facilities underlay the design concept. Development of the propulsion system took 5 years with the first flight occurring in 1975. Five consecutive flight successes up to 1979 have demonstrated the reliability and performance of the system.Improved N vehicle, designated as N-II, will succeed the N vehicle. New second stage propulsion system for N-II delivers 43,816 N (4468 kg) thrust at an Isp of 314.1 sec and has restart-capability.