Abstract
H-IIB launch vehicle is the newest and the most advanced Japanese rocket which can transport 16.5 ton of cargo vehicle (HTV) to International Space Station (ISS) and up to 8 ton of payload into geostationary transfer orbit. H-IIB has been developed efficiently under the government-industry joint framework of JAXA and MHI. Its first launch mission to transfer the first HTV to ISS was successfully completed in September 2009 as scheduled. The efficient and quick development and success are based on the advanced technology accumulated in JAXA and Japanese companies through Japanese rocket development history.
