H-II family

H-IIB

RetiredJapan Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesSpec: 304

H-IIB (H2B) is an expendable launch system used to launch H-II Transfer Vehicles (HTV, or Kounotori) towards the International Space Station. H-IIB rockets are liquid-fuelled with solid-fuel strap-on boosters and are launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Mitsubishi and JAXA have been primarily responsible for design, manufacture, and operation of H-IIB.

Flights flown9

Success rate100%9/9

Payload to LEO16,500kg

Cost per kg to LEO$6,818$112.5M per launch

Maiden flight2009-09-10

Peak year20091 flight

H-IIB is built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan. Company background, funding, contracts and news for this operator are tracked on Space Index. It first flew on 10 September 2009 and last flew on 20 May 2020.

Flight record

9 records

100% success rate9 of 9 flown

2009peak 2009 · 1 flight2020

First flight2009-09-10

Latest flight2020-05-20

Failures0

Consecutive successes9

Fastest turnaround239d 1h

Payload

Per mission profile

Low Earth orbit	16,500kg
Geostationary transfer orbit	8,000kg
Launch cost	$112.5M
Cost per kg to LEO	$6,818

Vehicle

304 spec

Stages	2
Length	56.6m
Diameter	5.2m
Launch mass	551t
Liftoff thrust	9,000kN
Maiden flight	2009-09-10
Reusable	No

Pads used

1 pad

Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-29

Orbits delivered

1 orbit

Low Earth Orbit9

Launch history

9 launches

Date	Mission	Pad	Orbit	Outcome
2020-05-20	H-IIB 304 \| Kounotori 9 (HTV-9)	Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2	Low Earth Orbit	Success
2019-09-24	H-IIB 304 \| Kounotori 8 (HTV-8)	Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2	Low Earth Orbit	Success
2018-09-22	H-IIB 304 \| Kounotori 7 (HTV-7)	Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2	Low Earth Orbit	Success
2016-12-09	H-IIB 304 \| Kounotori 6 (HTV-6)	Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2	Low Earth Orbit	Success
2015-08-19	H-IIB 304 \| Kounotori 5 (HTV-5)	Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2	Low Earth Orbit	Success
2013-08-03	H-IIB 304 \| Kounotori 4 (HTV-4)	Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2	Low Earth Orbit	Success
2012-07-21	H-IIB 304 \| Kounotori 3 (HTV-3)	Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2	Low Earth Orbit	Success
2011-01-22	H-IIB 304 \| Kounotori 2 (HTV-2)	Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2	Low Earth Orbit	Success
2009-09-10	H-IIB 304 \| Kounotori 1 (HTV-1)	Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2	Low Earth Orbit	Success

Specifications from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs, launch records from Space Index. Derived figures are computed here; see sources and method.