National Space Development Agency of JapanN-2Osaki Launch Complex, Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
Kiku-3
Launched
February 11, 1981
Summary
Kiku-3 launched on a National Space Development Agency of Japan N-2 from Osaki Launch Complex, Tanegashima Space Center, Japan on February 11, 1981. It was National Space Development Agency of Japan's 7th launch, 1st this year and humanity's 2,404th orbital launch attempt. It was the 1st N-2 flight. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Kiku-3, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 265 × 36,261 km orbit inclined 28.6°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Test Flight · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 1st N-2 flightNational Space Development Agency of Japan's 7th launch1st this yearhumanity's 2,404th orbital launch attempt13th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Kiku-3 · NORAD 12295 · 1981-012 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- KIKU 3 (ETS 4)
- Object ID
- 1981-012A
- Epoch
- 1981-02-11 14:06:49 UTC
- Mean motion
- 2.24546496 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.7306158
- Inclination
- 28.6124°
- Ascending node
- 304.9903°
- Arg. of perigee
- 180.2822°
- Mean anomaly
- 179.3983°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 10
- B*
- 0.000099999
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
3 catalogued: 1 payload, 2 rocket stages; 2 still in orbit
- Kiku-3 · NORAD 12295 · in orbit
N-II-7F Stage 2 · re-entered February 28, 1981
N-II-7F Stage 3 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Test satellite
Pad
Osaki Launch Complex, Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
7th launch from Osaki Launch Complex, 1st this year · 7th from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
24 launches from this pad · 99 from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
354 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Tanegashima Space Center, JapanOpen in maps
Questions
When did Kiku-3 launch?
Kiku-3 launched on February 11, 1981. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Kiku-3?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Kiku-3?
N-2, flown by National Space Development Agency of Japan. N-2 spec sheet
Where did Kiku-3 launch from?
Osaki Launch Complex, Tanegashima Space Center, Japan.
What orbit did Kiku-3 reach?
Kiku-3, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 265 × 36,261 km orbit inclined 28.6°.
How many satellites did Kiku-3 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).