Japan’s H3 rocket: Japan’s struggling flagship H3 rocket returns to flight with debut of low-cost model
Japan’s H3 rocket returned to flight on Friday, launching a new low-cost model, a much-needed success for the country’s new flagship rocket, which has been battling mission failures while facing increasing competition from the space industry.The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said in a live broadcast that the H3 rocket took off from the Tanegashima Space Center on the southwestern island of Japan on Friday morning and its second stage successfully reached the target orbit.The vehicle was also believed to have successfully separated six small satellites developed by universities and other organizations, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said.Friday’s mission marked the debut of the H3’s new “30 configuration” with triple liquid-fueled LE-9 engines and no rocket boosters, designed to be a lower-cost version to make the series more competitive. This variant is one of three designed to meet a wide range of customer needs.The sixth successful launch came after two failures of the new model that replaced the workhorse H-2A, which had a near-perfect success record.The H3 rocket was designed to be more cost-effective in a global space market dominated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Japan views stable, commercially competitive transportation capabilities as key to its space program and national security.On its first flight in March 2023, the H3 failed to ignite its second-stage engine. Then in December, the rocket was launched with a navigation satellite, but failed to put the payload into the intended orbit due to a malfunction in the second-stage engine.The H3 has been grounded since December, and Friday’s third failure will deal a major blow to Japan’s future space programs, which include a mission to Mars planned for 2028. The smaller Epsilon S series has also been delayed after a fire broke out during a test in 2024.JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are jointly developing the rocket and hope to eventually launch H3 six to eight times a year.
