Toray supplies Torayca carbon fiber and prepreg materials for the H3 launch vehicle.
Toray Industries has announced that it has supplied Torayca carbon fiber and prepreg materials for the H3 launch vehicle, a successor to the H-IIA rocket, developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in Tokyo. As was the case with the H-IIA, carbon fiber has been used in the H3 engine casing (the part of the rocket body that stores solid fuel and serves as the combustion chamber), and Torayca prepreg features a high-strength carbon fiber design. The payload fairing section (the front end of the launch vehicle that carries satellites and other payloads) now employs high-toughness resin.
The H3 is JAXA's new flagship launch vehicle, designed for high flexibility, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. The rocket stands 63 meters tall and has a diameter of 5.2 meters. According to JAXA's specifications page, the rocket "is capable of delivering '4 tons or more' to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 310 miles (500 kilometers) and '6.5 tons or more' to a geostationary transfer orbit."
The Torayca prepreg used for the fairing is a tape-laying prepreg specifically designed for automated fiber placement (AFP) processes. In addition to traditional autoclave molding, it enables efficient molding and processing of complex shapes and large structural materials, including oven molding.
Toray points out that in recent years, the application of satellites in various fields such as broadcasting, communications, positioning (GPS), earth observation, and disaster prevention has been expanding, leading to a year-on-year increase in demand for launch vehicles. With the growing need for lower launch costs and higher performance, the use of composite materials is expected to expand further in the future. Toray will continue to support such demands through its Torayca products.
