Mu-4S

M-4S

Mission Profile

The Mu-4S (M-4S) was a four-stage Japanese solid-fuelled launch vehicle in the Mu family, the vehicle that gave Japan independent orbital launch capability. Standing 23.6 m tall with a 1.4 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 43.6 tonnes, it generated 1,060 kN of first-stage thrust and could deliver 180 kg to low Earth orbit. First flying in September 1970, the Mu-4S successfully placed Japan's first satellite, Ohsumi, into orbit in February 1970 on an earlier flight, making Japan the fourth nation to achieve independent orbital launch capability.