TOKYO, Feb 17 (Portal) – Japan’s H3 rocket, the country’s first new medium-lift launch vehicle in three decades, failed to lift off on Friday because two secondary auxiliary engines attached to the side of the spacecraft failed to fire.
During the live-streamed event, the H3’s main engine shut down after the launch countdown reached zero, leaving the 57-meter (187-foot) rocket on its launch pad along with its payload, the land observation satellite ALOS-3 back at the Tanegashima Cosmodrome, which is also equipped with an infrared sensor designed to detect North Korean ballistic missiles.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said it is investigating the cause of the apparent failure.
Japan built the H3 to increase its independent access to space and increase its chances of capturing a larger share of the global launch market from rivals, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
It is designed to launch government and commercial satellites into orbit and transport supplies to the International Space Station. As part of Tokyo’s deepening collaboration with the United States in space, later variants will also carry cargo to the Gateway lunar space station, which NASA plans to build as part of its program to return people to the moon.
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[1/2] An aerial view shows an H3 rocket carrying a land observation satellite failing to lift off after an apparent engine failure at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwest Japan, February 17, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory Credit Kyodo via Portal
The United States has pledged a seat to Japan on one of its manned lunar missions.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.T), the builder and launch manager of the H3, is hoping the rocket will boost its space ambitions as SpaceX shakes up commercial launches with its reusable rockets, including the Falcon 9.
A September report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies put the cost of launching Falcon 9 into low Earth orbit at $2,600 per kilogram. The equivalent price for the H3’s predecessor, the H-II, is $10,500.
“With the H3, we are aiming to halve the cost per launch,” said a Mitsubishi Heavy spokesman ahead of the planned launch.
A successful first mission would have put the Japanese rocket into space ahead of the scheduled launch of the European Space Agency’s new lower-cost Ariane aircraft later this year.
Reporting by Tim Kelly and Rocky Swift; Edited by Jacqueline Wong, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Gerry Doyle
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