World roster → Mitsubishi Heavy Industries / JAXA
Epsilon S
Epsilon S is an orbital launch vehicle in development operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries / JAXA of Tokyo, Japan, 27 m tall, 1,400 kg to low Earth orbit, 3 stages.
| Operator | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries / JAXA · Tokyo, Japan |
|---|---|
| Status | In development |
| First flight | 2026 |
| Height | 27 m |
| Diameter | 2.5 m |
| Stages | 3 |
| Payload to LEO | 1,400 kg |
| Payload to SSO | 600 kg |
| Engines | SRB-3 first stage + two solid upper stages |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Reuse | Expendable — nothing is recovered |
| Launch sites | Uchinoura Space Center |
Small solid launcher, delayed by two second-stage ground-test explosions. Shares its first stage with H3's boosters, which is the whole cost argument.
About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries / JAXA
Japan's launch industry: extremely reliable, historically expensive, and now trying to halve its own launch cost. Founded 1884. Official site.