Tokyo: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) suspended the first launch of Japan’s carrier rocket H3 from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture as the solid rocket boosters did not ignite during the launch, according to the live stream of the launch.
The rocket was initially planned to take off at 10:37 a.m. local time (01:37 GMT). After the launch countdown had reached zero, the H3’s main engine cut off, but solid rocket boosters did not ignite, leaving the rocket with Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 “DAICHI-3” (ALOS-3) in payload on its launch pad. The cause of the engine failure is being determined.
Originally, the launch was scheduled for February 13 but was postponed to February 15 due to issues identified in the flight control system that changes the position of the rocket in response to the wind, and then was rescheduled for February 17 due to weather conditions.
The H3 rocket is expected to replace the currently used H2A. H3’s payload is 1.3 times bigger than that of H2A, and launch costs are two times lower. H3’s development started nine years ago and cost JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 200 billion yen ($1.5 billion).
