Japan Successfully Launches New H3 Rocket on Third Try

Japan Successfully Launches New H3 Rocket on Third Try

Japan's space agency declared the third attempt at launching its new main rocket a success on Saturday. This marks a significant achievement for the H3, which faced years of delays and two unsuccessful tries before this.

The H3 rocket, according to the space experts at JAXA, is flexible and doesn't cost a lot. They sent it up into space, and a JAXA person told AFP that it happened when the rocket launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan at 9:22 am (0022 GMT).

The new H3 rocket is thought to be a potential rival for Space X's Falcon 9. In the future, it might be used to transport goods to Moon bases.

The agency later confirmed that all its cargo, including two small satellites and a dummy satellite, were released successfully.

Japan recently launched a mission to the Moon, and last month, they successfully landed an unmanned probe on the Moon. Although it landed at a strange angle, this achievement made Japan the fifth country to land a spacecraft on Earth's natural satellite.

The JAXA control center erupted in cheers and applause when the live broadcast confirmed that the H3 rocket's engines had burned successfully. This indicated that the rocket had successfully entered orbit.

The first time the H3 rocket flew in March, ground control had to destroy it 14 minutes after takeoff. This happened because the second-stage engine failed to ignite. In October, JAXA reviewed the situation and listed three potential electrical faults but couldn't pinpoint the exact cause.

The H3, measuring 63 meters (297 feet), is made to transport a 6.5 metric ton payload into space. It aims to lower the cost of each launch to as little as five billion yen ($33 million) by using simpler structures and electronics similar to those used in cars. In contrast, the H-IIA costs about 10 billion yen per launch.

The government aims to send around 20 satellites and probes into space using H3 rockets by 2030. In 2025, the H3 is set to carry a lunar explorer for the collaborative Japan-India LUPEX project, and it is also planned to transport cargo spacecraft for the U.S.-led Artemis moon exploration program in the future.

The demand for satellite launches has increased significantly due to the availability of affordable commercial vehicles like SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9. Several new rockets are also undergoing testing this year.

The Vulcan rocket, a team effort by Boeing and Lockheed Martin under the United Launch Alliance, had a successful first flight last month. The European Space Agency is also gearing up for the debut launch of its budget-friendly Ariane 6 later this year.