Japan launches new H3 rocket in second attempt
An aerial view shows a second test model of H3 rocket lift off from the launching pad at Tanegashima Space Center on the southwestern island of Tanegashima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, on February 17, 2024, in this photo taken by Kyodo.
Japan launched its new flagship H3 rocket on Saturday in a second attempt, the live feed of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) showed.
The vehicle was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima on Saturday morning, with the second-stage separation confirmed.
The launch, initially planned for Thursday, was rescheduled due to bad weather conditions, a year after the maiden launch failure in March 2023, when the rocket's second-stage engine failed to ignite, prompting a self-destruct sequence just minutes after liftoff.
