TANEGASHIMA SPACE CENTER, Japan - The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has completed assembly of the first LE-9 engine. On March 31, the LE-9 engine was installed on the firing test stand at the Tanegashima Space Center. JAXA has not indicated a test schedule for the engine yet.
The LE-9 engine is a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine that will power Japan's H-3 core stage. It will be produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and will provide thrust of about 1,471 kN (331,000 lbf).
While Japan's H-2 has enjoyed a strong record of reliability since its 2001 introduction, the launch vehicle's high cost and slow manufacturing time has limited sales on the commercial market. Although the vehicle has won a few commercial sales in recent years, MHI relies heavily on launching Japanese government payloads to maintain the H-2 production line.
In 2013, Japan decided to pursue the development of a new heavy-lift launch vehicle to replace its venerable H-2. JAXA has stated a goal of reducing launch prices by 50 percent compared to the H-2, putting costs at around $50 million per launch. With these reduced costs, JAXA and MHI hope to be competitive on the commercial launch market. The company hopes to compete with leaders Arianespace and SpaceX.
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