Japan has successfully launched its new H3 launch vehicle after an initial failure. The rocket took off from the Tanegashima launch site on Saturday. With the restart, the Japanese space agency Jaxa wants to dispel doubts about the reliability of the new launch vehicle.
The rocket entered its intended orbit after the successful launch, the report said. There are a dummy satellite and two small satellites on board.
During a first launch attempt last year, the engine of the second rocket stage failed to ignite. Since the mission had no chance of success, the launch vehicle self-destructed a few minutes after launch.
More powerful, cheaper, safer
The H3 is the successor to the reliable H2A rocket and is Japan’s first new development of its own large launch vehicle in about 30 years. The H3 is considered more powerful, cheaper and safer than the H2A, which is expected to be phased out in the 2024 fiscal year, which begins April 1.
Last year’s failure came after a series of delays in the rocket’s development. The ignition system of rocket number 2, which was launched on Saturday, has been improved after problems with the first rocket, space agency Jaxa announced.
Satellite activities are becoming increasingly competitive
With the new H3 launch vehicle, Japan aims to gain a stronger position in the lucrative and increasingly competitive satellite launch business. In addition, the rocket, developed over eight years, is intended to send an unmanned cargo carrier to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the US-led Artemis program.
Source: Krone
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