The Flight #4 H-IIB launch vehicle carrying the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV4) was launched
at 4:48:46 am on 4 August, 2013 from Tanegashima Space Center, and successfully injected the
HTV4 into its designated orbit. H-IIA/B launch vehicles have now been successfully launched 20
consecutive times. In addition, the Flight #4 H-IIB was the first launch vehicle to be privatized,
and the privatization was accomplished smoothly. This paper introduces one aspect of the
activities behind the reliability of the H-IIA/B launch vehicle.
