Japan launched a new flagship rocket, the H3, on February 17, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) reported.
Japan has revived its space program after numerous setbacks, including the failure of its first rocket flight last year.
Japan, a relatively small player in space in terms of number of launches, is seeking to revitalize its program and is cooperating with the United States in the fight against China.
The H3 rocket was launched at 09:22 local time.
“Newborn H3 just cried for the first time.” – JAXA project director Masashi Okada, who led the ten-year development of the new rocket, said at a press conference.
The H3 will replace the twenty-year-old H-IIA, which will be retired after two more launches. Another failed flight would have left Japan facing the prospect of losing independent access to space.
The first launch in March 2023 ended with ground controls destroying the rocket 14 minutes after liftoff when the second stage engine failed to ignite. JAXA listed three possible electrical faults in a review published in October 2023, but could not determine a direct cause. Five months ago, JAXA’s small Epsilon rocket failed to launch.
The H3 rocket is designed for a payload of 6.5 tons and, in the long term, the agency wants to reduce the cost per launch to $33 million).
JAXA and main contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are opening up new opportunities and hope this launch will help them win orders from customers around the world.
The Japanese government plans to launch about 20 satellites and probes on H3 rockets for domestic use between now and 2030. The H3 is scheduled to carry a lunar rover for the joint Japan-India LUPEX project in 2025, as well as a cargo spacecraft for the US-led Artemis lunar exploration program in the future.
Demand for satellite launches has skyrocketed thanks to the availability of affordable commercial vehicles, such as SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9, as well as a number of new rockets being tested this year.
Masayuki Eguchi, head of Mitsubishi Heavy’s space and defense division, said the company has a long-term goal of launching eight to 10 rockets a year.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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