spacetoday.net: H3 reaches orbit on second launch

H3 reaches orbit on second launch

Posted: Sat, Feb 24, 2024, 9:33 AM ET (1433 GMT)
Japan's H3 rocket reached orbit on its second launch Feb. 16. The rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center at 7:22 pm EST (0022 GMT Feb. 17), nearly a year after its first launch failed when the second-stage engine did not ignite. On this flight the second stage operated as intended, deploying two smallsats before performing a deorbit burn. The primary payload was a mass simulator of ALOS-3, the spacecraft lost in the first H3 launch. An investigation into that failure found three potential issues that could have prevented an electrical signal from reaching the engine's ignition system, and engineers addressed all three ahead of this launch. The H3, years behind schedule, is the successor to the H-2A and key to Japan's future government and commercial space activities.