# N-I

> Japanese launch vehicle

**Wikidata**: [Q618897](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q618897)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N-I_(rocket))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/n-i

## Summary
N-I is a Japanese launch vehicle, part of the Thor-Delta class of expendable launch systems. It was manufactured by McDonnell Douglas and represents Japan's early efforts in developing indigenous space launch capability.

## Key Facts
- Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas
- Country of Origin: Japan
- Classification: Rocket model, subclass of Thor-Delta
- Aliases: N-1, N1, N-I, エヌイチ
- Freebase ID: /m/04jd3j4
- Sitelink Count: 15
- Different From: N1, Delta N
- Multilingual Presence: Wikipedia articles in be, commons, en, es, fi, fr, gl, id, it, ja

## FAQs
### Q: What was the primary purpose of the N-I rocket?
A: The N-I rocket was developed as Japan's primary launch vehicle for placing satellites into orbit, supporting early domestic space technology demonstration missions and communications satellite deployments.

### Q: How does the N-I relate to American rockets?
A: N-I is a Japanese-developed rocket but is a subclass of the American Thor-Delta class, indicating significant design heritage and technological lineage from the expendable launch systems developed in the United States.

### Q: Which notable Japanese satellites were launched using the N-I?
A: The N-I launcher was used for several key Japanese technology demonstration satellites, including Kiku-1, Kiku-2, Kiku-4, and the Ayame series satellites (Ayame 1 and Ayame 2).

## Why It Matters
N-I was pivotal in establishing Japan's independent satellite launch capability during the 1970s. It enabled the nation to conduct critical technology demonstration missions, particularly the Kiku series satellites, which proved essential for developing domestic communications and broadcasting satellite technologies. Successes like Kiku-2, Japan's first geostationary satellite, laid the groundwork for Japan's subsequent advancements in space technology and its eventual development of more powerful indigenous launchers like the H-I and H-II. The N-I program marked a significant step towards reducing reliance on foreign launch services for national space objectives.

## Notable For
- Being Japan's domestically developed launch vehicle derived from the Thor-Delta class.
- Deploying the Kiku series of Japanese technology demonstration satellites (Kiku-1, Kiku-2, Kiku-4), which were crucial for early satellite communications technology development.
- Launching the Ayame series satellites (Ayame 1 and Ayame 2) for early communications experiments.
- Representing a collaborative effort between Japanese space institutions and the American manufacturer McDonnell Douglas.

## Body
### Development and Heritage
- N-I is a Japanese launch vehicle developed as part of the Thor-Delta class.
- It is classified as a rocket model and holds the specific subclass relationship to Thor-Delta.
- The rocket was manufactured by McDonnell Douglas.
- Its country of origin is Japan.

### Technical Identity and Aliases
- The entity is officially known by the name "N-I".
- It possesses several aliases: N-1, N1, N-I, and the Japanese designation エヌイチ.
- It is distinctly different from the Soviet N1 rocket and the Delta N rocket (as per the `different_from` property).
- It has a Freebase identifier: /m/04jd3j4.

### Documentation and Recognition
- The N-I rocket has 15 sitelinks across various Wikimedia projects.
- It is documented on Wikipedia under the title "N-I (rocket)".
- It has an associated Commons category named "N-I (rocket)".
- Its image is available via Wikimedia Commons at the specific file path.
- Wikipedia documentation exists in multiple languages: Belarusian (be), Commonswiki (commons), English (en), Spanish (es), Finnish (fi), French (fr), Galician (gl), Indonesian (id), Italian (it), and Japanese (ja).

### Associated Payloads
- N-I is associated with the deployment of several Japanese technology demonstration satellites:
  - Kiku-1 (Japanese technology demonstration satellite)
  - Kiku-2 (Japanese technology demonstration satellite)
  - Kiku-4 (Japanese technology demonstration satellite)
- It also launched the Ayame series communications satellites:
  - Ayame 2
  - Ayame 1
- Additionally, it is linked to entities ISS-B and ISS 1.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "N-I",
  "description": "Japanese launch vehicle, a subclass of Thor-Delta",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15241312",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N-I_(rocket)"
  ],
  "additionalType": "Rocket model"
}

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013