Japan launches H3 rocket, boosting its comeback in space

The second launch of Japan’s flagship rocket went smoothly as it carried a satellite toward low-Earth orbit.

The H3 heavy payload vehicle took off with no crew aboard shortly after noon local time from Tanegashima Space Center. “We have a successful liftoff,” Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) commentators said during a live broadcast. 

The rocket, which had its first mission early this year, was carrying the Advanced Land Observing Satellite, or ALOS-4, which is equipped with radar technology used to monitor weather and natural disasters. ALOS-4 was delivered to low-Earth orbit roughly 16 minutes after takeoff, JAXA said. 

The H3 doesn’t yet have the track record to promise clients a timely and cost-effective alternative for clients looking to reach orbit. But it could be the island nation’s best chance at competing in a crowded field dominated by heavy hitters like SpaceX.

The 63-meter-tall single-use, heavy payload vehicle was manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.  

Its predecessor successfully launched 47 out of 48 times over the past two decades, according to JAXA, but only two of the previous rockets remain, meaning the old guard will pass on the mantle very soon.

“The H3 needs to carry on that legacy,” JAXA Director Hiroshi Yamakawa told reporters earlier this month at a press conference in Tokyo. “We need to demonstrate that it can deliver payloads to orbit on time and with great accuracy.”

The agency has suffered a series of costly blunders and major setbacks, starting with the explosion of its smaller Epsilon rocket in late 2022.

JAXA attempted to launch the H3 in March 2023 but a system failure between the side booster and main engine forced operators to transmit a self destruct code, sending the rocket and the satellite it carried into the Philippine Sea.

After an inquest that took nearly a year, the H3 made its inaugural mission in February.

At ¥5 billion ($32.6 million), the target cost of launching the H3 is roughly half of that of its predecessor, according to JAXA. The true cost will be determined by demand and supply.

JAXA’s goal is to launch its single-use rockets six times a year. That would be just a fraction of missions by SpaceX, which had nearly 100 launches of its reusable rockets in 2023.

However, the agency isn’t aiming to dethrone SpaceX, said Shinichi Kimura, director of the Tokyo University of Science’s Research Center for Space System Innovation.

“Demand has outstripped supply, and there are too many companies out there looking to launch something into space than SpaceX alone can handle,” Kimura said.

Japan also hopes H3 rockets can win customers from a new generation of domestic companies that can vie with global leaders in the commercial space industry.

JAXA will start accepting applications in July for ¥1 trillion ($6.5 billion) in funding over the next 10 years that will target prominent startups and academic institutions.