2003-08-14　三菱重工が４日続伸、搭載能力２倍のＨ２Ａロケットを開発へ

　三菱重工業 が一時、前日比10円高（3.13％）の329円まで上昇して、株価は今日で４日続伸の展開となっている。

14日付けの日経新聞朝刊が「文部科学省は搭載能力が２倍のＨ２Ａロケットの開発に乗り出す」とした上で「三菱重工業や10月に発足する宇宙航空研究開発機構が協力して来年度開発に着手、2007年度の１号機打ち上げを目指す」と報じたことが市場で材料視されたようだ。

これとは別に「不採算５事業から撤退」と報じられた石川島播磨重工業も一時、前日比3円高（2.11％）の145円まで上昇して２日続伸の展開が続いている。（テクノバーン）

(編集者追記：AFP電
Japan to revamp H-2A rocket to double payload capacity

Japan's science ministry aims to revamp the country's H-2A rocket to double its payload capacity in about four years under a 20-billion-yen (168-million-dollar) project, an official said Thursday.

The science and technology ministry aims to launch the first heavy-lift version of the H-2A in the fiscal year starting in April 2007, said Shigekazu Matsuura at the ministry's space utilisation division.

"The primary purpose for this is to boost cargo transport to the International Space Station," he said.

"The capacity of the current standard model is not sufficient" although Japan will be obliged to ship six tons of cargo every year to the station upon its completion around 2008, he said.

"The higher capacity will also enable the rocket to carry more commercial satellites, thus reducing the launch costs per satellite and increasing competitiveness (of the H-2A)," he said.

The project will raise the H-2A's payload capacity to the level equal to its rivals such as Europe's Ariane rockets, he said.

The development is estimated to cost 20 billion yen, a quarter of which will be shouldered by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.

The private firm will design and produce the revamped rocket, while the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the reorganised space agency to be launched in October, will remodel launch facilities.

"The diameter of the rocket's first stage will be increased to five metres (16.5 feet) from four meters for the current standard model so that the new version will have more fuel, and also a second main engine will be added," Matsuura said.

The new H-2A rocket will be able to place a 4,000-kilogramme (8,800-pound) communications satellite into geo-stationary orbit 36,000 kilometresmiles) above the equator, he said.

The production and launching cost of the current version of the H-2A is 8.5 billion yen, compared with 10.5 billion yen for the new heavy-lift version.

By carrying more satellites, however, launch costs per satellite can be brought below current levels.

A ministry panel is expected to give the formal go-ahead for the development plan on August 22 after subcommittee-level approval likely to come on Monday next week, the official said.

Japan has sent up five domestically-developed H-2A rockets, with the latest blast-off in March carrying the nation's first spy satellites.