H3 Rocket Disappoints Space Enthusiasts

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The failure of the new H3 rocket in a test conducted last Friday has disappointed those hoping for rapid advances in the Japanese space program.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which led the project, explained that the main engine ignited, but that the solid rocket boosters did not. This left the new flagship Japanese rocket sitting helplessly on its launch pad at Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture.

This disappointment follows a mishap last October when an Epsilon-6 rocket misfired after a launch from Uchinoura Space Center, also in Kagoshima Prefecture, forcing controllers to engage its self-destruct function.

The H3 is long overdue to enter service. The first launch was supposed to take place in FY2020, but it has been significantly delayed.

It is unclear when the next launch will be scheduled, particularly since JAXA officials were not immediately certain what went wrong on Friday.

The H3 is supposed to become the more advanced successor to Japan’s H-IIA rocket launch vehicle. It is a major national project.

The launch failure even drew a comment from Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, who tried to assure reporters that “this will not have an immediate effect on our country’s space policy.”

Recent Space Industry Related Articles

Mitsui Fudosan Backs Space Industry

Laser Communication in Space

Moonstruck on Tottori Sand Dunes

ispace Lander Aims for the Moon

China Becomes Major Space Power

Recent Articles

Kyoto Police Arrest Online Casino Operators

Akihabara News (Tokyo) -- Kyoto Prefectural Police and other authorities announced the arrest of seven individuals last month, including 36-year-old Randall Aaron...

Japan Space Program Gets Its Groove Back

Akihabara News (Tokyo) -- After a series of embarrassing stumbles, Japan's space program is putting some wins on the board again.

Wakayama Signs Pact on Flying Cars

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Wakayama Governor Shuhei Kishimoto made it clear at a press conference on January 30 that his administration is...

Qualified Success for Japan’s Moon Landing

Akihabara News (Tokyo) -- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) declared success in its "main mission" of conducting a Moon landing near...

Pioneering Hoverbike Firm Goes Belly Up

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Japan's most prominent hoverbike company, A.L.I. Technologies, has filed for bankruptcy. Although the firm reports that it hopes...

Related Stories