Japan successfully launches H3 rocket carrying positioning satellite

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on Tuesday successfully launched an H3 rocket and put a positioning satellite into orbit, marking the second successful launch in a row of Japan’s flagship rocket after a failure last December.

The H3 rocket No. 9 lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima, a small island in southwestern Japan, early Tuesday, carrying the Michibiki No. 7 positioning satellite, part of the country’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System used to provide location information for smartphones and vehicle navigation.

The launch, initially scheduled for last Friday, was moved to Monday due to a passing typhoon, then pushed back an additional day because of inclement weather around the launch site.

Last December, the agency launched the Michibiki No. 5 on an H3 rocket but failed to put the satellite into orbit, delaying a subsequent launch for the No.7 positioning satellite that had been planned for February.

Five Michibiki satellites are currently providing positioning service. The government aims to have seven such satellites in orbit to provide full service without relying on any other countries.

The H3 became Japan’s flagship rocket following its highly reliable H2A rockets that served as the country’s main launch vehicle for more than two decades.

But so far, the track record of the H3 has been mixed. After the failure involving the H3 No. 8 rocket in December, JAXA scrambled to fix an issue and succeeded in launching another H3 rocket in June, putting multiple miniature satellites into orbit.

© KYODO