N-I (rocket)#Ionosphere Sounding Satellite "UME-2" (ISS-b)

{{Short description|Booster}}

{{about|the Japanese rocket|the Soviet rocket|N1 (rocket)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox Rocket

|name = N-I

|image=N-I.svg

|caption = The N-I rocket{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/delta.htm|title=Delta|first=Mark|last=Wade|publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica|access-date=3 September 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817180906/http://astronautix.com/lvs/delta.htm|archive-date=17 August 2013|df=dmy-all}}

|function = Carrier rocket

|manufacturer = McDonnell Douglas (design)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (production)

|country-origin = United States (design)
Japan (production)

|height = {{convert|34|m|ft}}

|diameter = {{convert|2.44|m|ft}}

|mass = {{convert|131330|kg|lb}}

|stages = 2 or 3

|capacities =

{{Infobox Rocket/Payload

|location = LEO

|kilos = {{convert|1200|kg|lb}}

}}

{{Infobox Rocket/Payload

|location = GTO

|kilos = {{convert|360|kg|lb}}

}}

|family = Delta

|status = Retired

|sites = Tanegashima, Osaki

|launches = 7

|success = 6

|partial = 1

|first = 9 September 1975

|last = 3 September 1982

|stagedata =

{{Infobox Rocket/Stage

|type = booster

|name = Castor 2

|number = 3

|engines = 1 TX-354-3

|thrust = {{convert|258.9|kN|lbf}}

|SI = 262 sec

|burntime = 37 seconds

|fuel = Solid

}}

{{Infobox Rocket/Stage

|type = stage

|stageno = First

|name = Thor-ELT

|engines = 1 MB-3-3

|thrust = {{convert|866.7|kN|lbf}}

|SI = 290 sec

|burntime = 270 seconds

|fuel = RP-1/LOX

}}

{{Infobox Rocket/Stage

|type = stage

|name =

|stageno = Second

|engines = 1 LE-3

|thrust = {{convert|52.9|kN|lbf}}

|SI = 290 sec

|burntime = 246 seconds

|fuel = NTO/A-50

}}

{{Infobox Rocket/Stage

|type = stage

|name = Star-37N

|stageno = Third

|diff = optional

|engines = 1 solid

|thrust = {{convert|45|kN|lbf}}

|SI = 290 sec

|burntime = 42 seconds

|fuel = Solid

}}

}}

File:Rocket-Namba.jpg

The N-I or N-1 was a derivative of the American Thor-Delta rocket, produced under license in Japan. The N stood for "Nippon" (Japan). It used a Long Tank Thor first stage, a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-designed LE-3 engine on the second stage,{{cite web|url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjsass1969/32/362/32_362_127/_pdf/-char/ja|title=N-Iロケット開発の歩み|publisher=Yukihiko Takenaka, NASDA|access-date=10 February 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://202.228.55.2/ngpsw/introduction/history/index.html|title=三菱重工 名古屋誘導推進システム製作所 事業所紹介 沿革|publisher=Mitsubishi Heavy Industries|access-date=10 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704102309/http://202.228.55.2/ngpsw/introduction/history/index.html|archive-date=4 July 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/html/hpaa198201/hpaa198201_2_030.html|title=第1部 創造性豊かな科学技術を求めて 第2章 自主技術開発への展開 第3節 先導的・基盤的科学技術分野における自主技術開発の展開 2.宇宙開発|publisher=Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology|access-date=10 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615025750/http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/html/hpaa198201/hpaa198201_2_030.html|archive-date=15 June 2008|url-status=dead}} and three Castor SRMs.{{cite web|url=http://jda.jaxa.jp/jda/p1_e.php|title=JAXA Digital Archives|publisher=Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency|access-date=1 October 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090909144812/http://jda.jaxa.jp/jda/p1_e.php|archive-date=9 September 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/n-1.htm|title=N-1|first=Gunter|last=Krebs|publisher=Gunter's Space Page|access-date=31 August 2008}} Seven were launched between 1975 and 1982, before it was replaced by the N-II. Six of the seven launches were successful, however on the fifth flight, there was recontact between the satellite and the third stage, which caused the satellite to fail.

On 29 February 1976, the second N-I conducted the only orbital launch, as of 17 February 2024, to occur on a leap day.{{cite web|url=https://www.space.com/32093-space-station-leap-day-spaceflight-history.html|title=Space Station Command Change Is One Giant Leap (Day) for Space History|first=Robert|last=Pearlman|date=29 February 2016 |publisher=Space.com|access-date=2 November 2017}}