Japan's No. 8 H3 Rocket Launch Ends in Failure
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's launch of its No. 8 H3 rocket on Monday (December 22) was unsuccessful, failing to send the Michibiki No. 5 positioning satellite into the intended orbit.
- The launch of Japan's No. 8 H3 rocket failed due to a malfunction in its second-stage engine, which stopped immediately after its second ignition attempt.
- A potential cause was identified as a drop in pressure in the fuel tank supplying the second-stage engine.
- This marks the second failure for the H3 rocket model, following an unsuccessful maiden launch in March 2023.
- The rocket was carrying a satellite for Japan's domestic version of the Global Positioning System (GPS).
The rocket carrying the satellite for the Japanese version of the US Global Positioning System lifted off at 10.51am from JAXA's Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, but the combustion of its second-stage engine ended earlier than planned.
It is not known whether the satellite separated from the rocket.
The launch failure was the second for the H3 rocket, following the unsuccessful launch of the No. 1 unit in March 2023.
The failure of Japan's mainstay rocket is likely to have a significant impact on the nation's space development efforts.
"We sincerely apologise for failing to meet your expectations," JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa told a news conference.
The H3 rocket is a two-stage liquid-fuel rocket.
After the launch of the No. 8 H3 rocket, its first-stage engine burned normally and separated.
The second-stage engine was scheduled for two firings, but the first firing ended about 27 seconds later than planned amid weak thrust.
The second burn stopped immediately after ignition.
During the first-stage engine's burn, a downward trend in pressure was observed in the tank supplying liquid hydrogen fuel to the second-stage engine.
JAXA is looking into further details.
Makoto Arita, JAXA's H3 project manager, said: "At this point, we cannot limit the cause to the second-stage engine alone.
We want to conduct a thorough investigation, including looking into the entire H3 system, without jumping to conclusions."
The launch of the No. 8 H3 rocket had been put off from December 7 to Wednesday.
Wednesday's launch was aborted about 17 seconds before liftoff after a valve-setting error led to a lack of flow of cooling water used to protect the launch pad and related equipment from heat and vibration.
The first in the series of Michibiki positioning satellites was launched in 2010.
The government aims to establish a seven-satellite constellation by the end of March next year, enabling continuous positioning without relying on foreign systems such as the US GPS. The long-term goal is to establish an 11-satellite system.
The H3 rocket, developed by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., after failing on its maiden launch, has since logged five consecutive successful launches.
The launch of the No. 6 unit has not yet taken place.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
