🇯🇵Uchinoura Space Center
Kimotsuki, Kagoshima, Japan, Japan
Country
🇯🇵 Japan
Region
Asia
Established
1962
Launches / Year
2-4
Coordinates
31.2513° N, 131.0769° E
About
Uchinoura Space Center, formerly known as Kagoshima Space Center, is Japan's oldest launch facility specializing in solid-fuel rockets and scientific missions. Operated by JAXA's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), it launched Japan's first satellite and continues to serve as the site for Epsilon rocket missions and sounding rockets.
Key Features
Japan's oldest space launch facility — launched Japan's first satellite in 1970
Specializes in solid-fuel rockets and scientific missions
Operated by JAXA/ISAS for space science programs
Launch site for Epsilon solid-fuel rocket series
Extensive sounding rocket operations for atmospheric research
Rockets That Launch Here
Companies Operating Here
Orbit Types
Notable Launches
Ohsumi (1970) — Japan's first satellite, launched on Lambda-4S
Hayabusa (2003) — First asteroid sample return mission
Akatsuki (2010) — Venus climate orbiter
Epsilon rocket missions for scientific satellite deployment
SS-520-5 (2018) — World's smallest orbital rocket