Ahead of the launch of the second unit of Japan's new flagship rocket, the H3, on the 17th, the first of which failed last year, the aircraft was moved to the launch site at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on the 16th.
★The launch of the "H3" rocket will be broadcast live in this article.
The first launch failed in March last year.
First vehicle immediately after launch in March 2023
The first H3 was launched in March last year, but the second stage engine failed to ignite and the launch failed.
For this reason, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) has been investigating the cause of the incident based on flight data from the time, and has taken countermeasures such as strengthening inspections of parts.
Unit 2 launch scheduled for 9:22 a.m. on the 17th
H3 Unit 2 is scheduled to be launched from the Tanegashima Space Center at 9:22 a.m. on the 17th, but before this, it emerged from the assembly building at around 3 p.m. on the 16th and moved to the launch site over a 30-minute drive. it was done.
According to JAXA, the weather during the launch time on the 17th was mostly sunny and there were no problems with the weather conditions.
The main goal of this launch is to have the second stage engine fire as planned, which was not possible with the first rocket, and to put the rocket into orbit around the Earth.
Additionally, in order to confirm the performance of the rocket, we will demonstrate the operation of separating the satellite.
The H3 is Japan's new flagship rocket, replacing the currently-operated H2A, and JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries began developing it 10 years ago.
It is the first new large-scale rocket developed in Japan in 30 years, and the development cost exceeded 200 billion yen.
As international competition in the space business intensifies with the entry of private companies, all eyes are on whether the launch of H3, which will determine the future direction of Japan's space development, will be successful for the first time.