Posted: Thu, Dec 9, 2004, 8:02 AM ET (1302 GMT)
Japan will launch its first H-2A rocket since a November 2003 accident early next year, Japanese space agency officials said Wednesday. The H-2A will return to flight by February, launching the long-delayed Multi-functional Transport Satellite 1 Replacement (MTSAT-1R) spacecraft, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced. The H-2A had been grounded since the failure of a November 29, 2003 launch carrying two Japanese reconnaissance satellites. That launch failed when one of two solid rocket strap-on boosters failed to separate from the rocket as planned. An investigation found that a hole formed in the nozzle of the solid booster, allowing hot gas to escape and impinge on a fuse used to separate the booster, causing the fuse to malfunction. The MTSAT-1R spacecraft, built by Space Systems/Loral and delivered to JAXA earlier this year, will be used to provide communication and navigation services to aircraft in the area and also replace a malfunctioning weather satellite.

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