Japan Successfully Conducts New Launch of H3 Rocket

TOKYO (Sputnik) - Japan has successfully conducted a new launch of its next-generation H3 flagship rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said on Saturday.

The maiden launch of the H3 type rocket took place in March 2023, also from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan, but 14 minutes after the start, the vehicle was ordered to self-destroy as its second-stage engine did not respond.

The new version of the rocket was equipped with an improved ignition system. H3 is carrying a dummy satellite that matches the weight and balance of the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 "DAICHI-3" (ALOS-3) that was aboard the first version of the spacecraft, as well as two microsatellites.

The launch, which was initially scheduled for February 15 but postponed due to bad weather, took place at 09:22 a.m. local time (00:22 GMT).

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida thanked all those involved in the rocket launch process over the years, and expressed hope that the spacecraft "will continue to show stable results."

The H3 is a two-stage liquid-fueled rocket expected to replace the H2A currently in use. The H3 is capable of carrying 1.3 times more cargo than the H2A, and its launch costs are half that of the H2A. JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries began development of the new rocket nine years ago. It cost 200 billion yen ($1.5 billion). The H3 is considered the first new development of a large rocket in Japan in about 30 years.