H3-24

Company: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Japan is developing an expendable launch system called the H3 Launch Vehicle. The attributes of each H3 booster configuration are denoted by a two-digit and a letter designation. Either "2" or "3" is the first digit, which indicates the number of LE-9 engines on the main stage. The number "0", "2", or "4" denotes the number of SRB-3 solid rocket boosters that are fastened to the rocket's base. Solid booster configurations are all symmetrical in design. Whether the payload fairing is long "L" or short  "S", it is indicated by the final letter. While an H3-30S has three engines, no solid rocket boosters, and a short fairing, an H3-24L, for instance, has two engines, four solid rocket boosters, and a long fairing.