Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The failure of the new H3 rocket in a test conducted last month has disappointed those hoping for rapid advances in the Japanese space program.
In a test on October 12, after smoothly leaving its launch pad in Uchinoura Space Center, Kagoshima Prefecture, the H3 ran into trouble at the point when its rocket separated from the booster, resulting in the spacecraft shooting off course.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which led the project, explained in a press release that “the vehicle’s flight attitude [deviated] from the target, and [we] determined that it would be unable to enter the Earth’s orbit as planned. Then we sent a command destruct signal, effecting a failed launch.”
This isn’t the first time that the H3 rocket has faced such issues. The launch was initially planned to take place in September 2020, but a technical problem was identified leading to the rescheduling to last month.
The H3 is Japan’s new flagship rocket, which is meant to replace the currently-operating Japanese rockets–H-IIA and H-IIB–in order to “achieve high flexibility, high reliability, and high-cost performance,” according to JAXA.
These rocket systems allow Japan to launch its own satellites into space without relying on other countries.
As a response to recent failure of the H3 rocket, JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa, set up a task force to determine necessary countermeasures.
The next H3 test is set for March 31, 2023.
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Source: Akihabara News – H3 Rocket Disappoints Space Enthusiasts