Japan launches second H3 rocket a year after failure
Japan successfully launched its new H3 rocket at a space center on a southwestern island Saturday, nearly a year after a failed attempt cast doubt over the country's aspirations in the space industry.
The H3 rocket No. 2 entered its planned orbit and deployed a dummy satellite and two functioning microsatellites, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said. It lifted off at 9:22 a.m. from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture.
The H3 launch vehicle, expected to be a successor to Japan's current mainstay H2A rocket, will likely be used to deliver supplies and materials to the International Space Station and the Gateway, a lunar-orbiting outpost planned under the U.S.-led Artemis space program.
"The H3 finally gave its first cry. The launch was a perfect success," JAXA project manager Masashi Okada told a press conference.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hailed the successful launch of the domestically produced rocket, saying on his X account, "I would like to express my respect for the efforts of everyone involved over the years, and hope that Japan's flagship rockets will continue to steadily accumulate achievements."
Around 1,200 people gathered at a park about six kilometers from the space center to watch the launch.
The H3 was originally scheduled for launch by the end of March 2021. But the plan was significantly pushed back over issues including with the newly developed engine.
The launch service price for the H3 will be lower than that of the H2A, according to JAXA.
Saturday's launch of the No. 2 rocket was initially scheduled for Thursday but was postponed due to a forecast of bad weather.