SS-520 3 stage

SS-520 Orbital SS-520-5

Mission Profile

SS-520 3 Stage (SS-520-5) is a three-stage orbital configuration of Japan's SS-520 sounding rocket, which achieved the record for smallest rocket ever to successfully reach orbit by placing the TRICOM-1R 3U cubesat into low Earth orbit on 3 February 2018. Standing 9.7 meters tall with a 2,600 kg launch mass, the addition of a small third stage to the standard two-stage sounding rocket configuration enabled this orbital capability with a 4 kg payload. The achievement demonstrated the extreme lower bound of what is technically possible for an orbital launch vehicle.