Haruka
M-V
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
Mission
Haruka
- Type: Astrophysics
- Orbit: Elliptical Orbit
HALCA (Highly Advanced Laboratory for Communication and Astronomy), a.k.a. VSOP (Very Large Baseline Interferometry Space Observatory Programme) or Muses-B, is the first astronomical satellite dedicated to Very-Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). It was launched on its maiden flight by ISAS's M-5 [KM-V1] launch vehicle from Kagoshima Space Center on 12 February 1997.
Location
Mu Center
Uchinoura Space Center, Japan
Mu Center has witnessed the launch of 36 rockets, including 36 orbital launch attempts. While Uchinoura Space Center, Japan, has been the site for 43 rocket launches.
The Uchinoura Space Center is a space launch facility in the Japanese town of Kimotsuki, Kagoshima Prefecture. All of Japan's scientific satellites were launched from Uchinoura prior to the M-V launch vehicles being decommissioned in 2006. It continues to be used for suborbital launches, stratospheric balloons and has also been used for the Epsilon orbital launch vehicle. Additionally, the center has antennas for communication with interplanetary space probes.
Rocket
IHI Corporation M-V
The M-V rocket also called Mu-5 was a Japanese solid-fuel rocket designed to launch scientific satellites.
Agency
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
ISAS is a Japanese national research organization of astrophysics using rockets, astronomical satellites and interplanetary probes which played a major role in Japan's space development.
