GS Yuasa Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 6674; “GS Yuasa”) today announced that “common lithium-ion batteries for launch vehicles” manufactured by group company GS Yuasa Technology Ltd. (“GYT”) were installed in the Epsilon-5 Launch Vehicle, which was launched on November 9, 2021.
The “common lithium-ion batteries for launch vehicles”, which GYT developed under a contract with IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd., have been utilized in Epsilon Launch Vehicles ever since the very first Epsilon launch in 2013.
GYT’s “common lithium-ion batteries for launch vehicles” were installed in stages 1, 2, and 3 of the Epsilon-5 Launch Vehicle to supply electricity to the rocket control equipment and other onboard systems. GYT’s thermal batteries were also installed in the launch vehicle to provide the electricity required by its attitude control equipment while in flight. These thermal batteries are also used in the SRB-A solid rocket boosters of H-IIA launch vehicles.
GYT develops, manufactures, and distributes batteries and power sources for special applications and supplies high-performance, high-quality batteries for special land, sea, and air environments (from depths of 6,500 meters below the ocean surface to 36,000 kilometers high in space). The GS Yuasa Group will continue to contribute to space development projects through the development and manufacture of high performance lithium-ion batteries.
■1. Epsilon-5 Launch Vehicle (© JAXA)
■2. Common lithium-ion battery for launch vehicles (left); thermal battery (right)
