Rocket launch fails and Japan orders destruction – 07/03/2023 – Science

A second attempt to launch Japan’s state-of-the-art H3 rocket failed on Tuesday shortly after liftoff, when the Japanese space agency ordered self-destruction after determining the device would fail to complete the mission.

The failure deals a blow to the Japanese space agency Jaxa, which has heralded the H3 as its great low-cost, flexible symbol.

The project accumulated years of delay and the first attempt to launch the rocket, in February, was unsuccessful because the thrusters were not activated.

On Tuesday, the H3 managed to lift off at 10:37 am (10:37 pm GMT, Monday), but an announcement on the Jaxa live stream warned that the rocket’s speed appeared to be slowing.

The separation of the first phase proceeded as planned, but then signs of trouble were detected at the Tanegashima space center in southwest Japan.

“Sounds like the speed is dropping,” narrators stated on the Jaxa broadcast. Then the command center announced that “the ignition of the second stage engine was not confirmed”.

The live broadcast was interrupted for a few seconds with the message: “We are currently reviewing the situation. Please wait”.

When the transmission resumed, the command center announced that “the destruction order was transmitted to H3 because it did not have the possibility to complete the mission”.

Jaxa Vice President Yasuhiro Funo told a news conference that the rocket would not reach the planned trajectory without confirmation of second-stage engine ignition.

The agency believes that the wreckage of the craft fell into the sea east of the Philippines.

The cause of the failure will be investigated, announced agency president Hiroshi Yamakawa, without revealing how long the investigation should last or whether a new launch is planned.

“When a failure like this happens, it is important that we demonstrate that we can act quickly and disclose our findings with transparency”, he said.

“My responsibility is to work to discover the cause and strive to restore confidence in our rockets,” he added.

The H3 is a satellite launch vehicle, designed for frequent commercial use, with reliability and better cost-effectiveness. It was touted as a possible competitor to SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

“The H3 rocket is very important not only for the government of Japan, but also for companies in the private sector to have access to space,” said Yamakawa.

Jaxa explained in the project description that it believed in the possibility of launching the H3 six times a year for two decades to sustain the Japanese space industry.

Developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the H3 is the successor to the 2001 model H-IIA.

Tuesday’s launch carried the high-resolution ALOS-3 observation satellite created to help with disaster management and other missions.

In October 2022, Jaxa was forced to determine the self-destruction of the Epsilon rocket, which was carrying several satellites, after takeoff.

This was the first failed launch for Japan’s space program since 2003.

The solid-fuel Epsilon rocket has been operational since 2013. It is smaller than the previous Japanese liquid-fuel model and successor to the M-5, which was retired in 2006 due to high costs.