Ahead of next month's launch of the second unit of Japan's new flagship rocket, the H3, whose first failed to launch last year, the satellites and other equipment mounted on the rocket were shown to the press at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on the 23rd. Published on.
The public release on the 23rd was held inside the assembly building, which has recently started operations for maintenance of the satellites to be mounted on H3.
The second vehicle is equipped with a structure called "VEP-4," which is approximately 4 meters high and weighs approximately 2.6 tons and has the same weight and center of gravity as the satellite mounted on the first vehicle.It controls the attitude of the rocket and separates the satellite. The task is to check whether the mechanism to be used functions as planned.
It will also carry two other satellites: a small optical satellite that can be used for observation during disasters, and a small artificial satellite equipped with infrared sensors.
Also, on the cover called the ``fairing,'' which covers the satellite at the top of the rocket, there are written nearly 3,000 messages of support from all over the country wishing for a successful launch.
Masafumi Okada, project manager at JAXA = Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, said, ``We have come this far with the desire to somehow recover from our failures.We want to work together to make the launch a success.''
The second H3 is scheduled to launch at 9:22 a.m. on the 15th of next month.