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|status = Active |sites = Uchinoura |launches = 1 |success = 1 |fail = |partial = |first = September 14, 2013 |stagedata = }} The (formerly ''Advanced Solid Rocket'') is a Japanese solid-fuel rocket designed to launch scientific satellites. It is a follow-on project to the larger and more expensive M-V rocket which was retired in 2006. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) began developing the Epsilon in 2007. It is designed to be capable of placing a 1.2 tonne payload into low Earth orbit. ==Vehicle description== The development aim is to reduce costs compared to the launch cost of an M-V. The Epsilon costs (£23m) per launch, which is half the cost of its predecessor. Development expenditures by JAXA exceeded .〔 To reduce the cost per launch the Epsilon uses the existing SRB-A3 as a solid rocket booster on the H-IIA rocket as its first stage. Existing M-V upper stages will be used for the second and third stages, with an optional fourth stage available for launches to higher orbits. The J-1 rocket, which was developed during the 1990s, but abandoned after just one launch, used a similar design concept, with an H-II booster and Mu-3S-II upper stages.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=J-I Launch Vehicle )〕 The Epsilon is expected to have a shorter launch preparation time than its predecessors. The rocket has a mass of and is tall and 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) in diameter.〔(Epsilon Launch Vehicle Information )〕 Due to a function called "mobile launch control",〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=New Epsilon rocket chalks up first launch )〕 the rocket needs only eight people at the launch site, compared with 150 people for earlier launches.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Japan's Laptop-Controlled Space Rocket Blasts Off )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Epsilon (rocket)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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