Fairing for H-IIA F9 Launch Vehicle Shipped

 Tokyo, December 8, 2005 – Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. today shipped a payload fairing for the H-IIA No. 9 (H-IIA F9) launch vehicle to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s Tanegashima Space Center. Designed and manufactured at the Gifu Works and shipped from the Harima Works, the fairing will be installed on the launch vehicle that carries the Multi-functional Transport Satellite-2 (MTSAT-2), an air traffic control and weather observation satellite, into space. The H-IIA F9 is scheduled for launch on February 15, 2006.

 A payload fairing is a cover installed at the tip of the launch vehicle to protect the satellite from aerodynamic heating and vibration during liftoff. After the launch vehicle leaves the earth's atmosphere, the fairing splits in two and is jettisoned, allowing the satellite to separate from the launch vehicle.

 The fairing is 5 m in diameter with a single cover (5S), large enough for satellites like those carried by the U.S. space shuttle or the European Ariane V. Kawasaki is responsible for the development and manufacture of the fairing and the payload adapter, which separates the satellite from the launch vehicle.