Lambda is the name of a family of Japanese carrier rockets. It consisted of the types Lambda 2, Lambda 3, Lambda 3H, Lambda 4S, Lambda 4SC, and Lambda 4T developed jointly by Institute of Industrial Science of the University of Tokyo, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of the University of Tokyo, and Prince Motor Company, which merged with Nissan in 1966.
Lambda series rockets did not have guidance systems, as they had the potential to be converted for offensive military use, thus interpreted as a violation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. However, future Japanese launch vehicles, such as the H-II, were allowed to have guidance systems.
Configurations Lambda types differ regarding the upper stages used. The following table shows the actual configurations: TypeBoostersStage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 42L-735K-420 3Kappa-8 3HL-735(1/3)L-500 4S2 × SB-310L-480S4SC4T Launches Lambda rockets were launched by ISAS, from Kagoshima pad L.
On February 11, 1970, the first Japanese satellite Ohsumi was launched using a Lambda 4S rocket.
The Lambda 4S was launched nine times, though five were failures. The first launch of the Lambda 4S rocket took place on September 26, 1966, from Kagoshima. A fourth-stage attitude control failed resulting in loss of the vehicle and payload. +List of Lambda launchesDateVersionApogeeMission1963 August 242Failure1963 December 112Ionosphere mission1964 July 113Ionosphere mission1965 January 313Ionosphere mission1965 March 183X-ray astronomy mission1966 March 53HX-ray astronomy mission1966 July 233HGyro-plasma probe Ionosphere / aeronomy mission1966 September 264SOhsumi launch attempt. Failure: Fourth stage attitude control failed1966 December 204SOhsumi launch attempt. Failure: Fourth stage failed to ignite1967 February 63HIonosphere / chemical release / x-ray astronomy mission1967 April 134SOhsumi launch attempt. Failure: Fourth stage failed to ignite1969 January 163HIonosphere mission1969 September 34TTest mission1969 September 224SOhsumi launch attempt. Failure: Fourth stage control system malfunction after third stage collided with fourth stage1970 January 213HIonosphere / plasma mission1970 February 114SOhsumi (first successful satellite of Japan, fifth attempt of Lambda 4S)1970 September 193HX-ray / ultraviolet astronomy mission1971 August 204SCFailure1971 September 33HAeronomy / ionosphere / x-ray astronomy mission1973 January 284SCTVC test1974 January 223HSt 2: 329 km X-ray astronomy mission1974 September 14SCTVC test1976 August 304SCRadar transponder1977 August 163HAeronomy / ionosphere / plasma mission1979 September 204SCTVC test
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