S-520

S-520 Sounding Rocket

Mission Profile

The S-520 (S-520 Sounding Rocket) is a single-stage Japanese solid-fuelled sounding rocket in the S-520 family, designed for high-altitude research reaching the edge of space. Standing 7.1 m tall with a 0.5 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 2.1 tonnes, it generates 186 kN of thrust. First flying in January 1980, the S-520 has been one of JAXA's most reliable and frequently used sounding rockets for microgravity experiments, ionospheric research, and technology demonstrations.