By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept

Science, Space & Technology

Space Science Digital
Contact
Search
  • Home
  • Environment

    New comet – C/2023 A3 – could be bright in 2024

    March 3, 2023

    Supermassive black holes not impressive enough? Try the ultramassive version

    March 29, 2023

    Lyrids meteor shower makes a welcome return

    April 17, 2023

    Can aliens around nearby stars detect us?

    May 4, 2023
  • Space Flight

    Relativity Space set for maiden launch of Terran 1 rocket

    March 8, 2023

    Crew Dragon Endurance set for return to Earth on Crew-5 mission

    March 10, 2023

    Galaxy may have eaten all its neighbours and now it’s all alone

    March 15, 2023

    2023 news preview: The biggest science stories of next year

    December 22, 2022
  • Cosmology

    A Kilonova Simulated in 3D

    October 23, 2023

    The darkish aspect of area

    October 27, 2023

    Did Betelgeuse Devour a Smaller Star?

    October 31, 2023

    Remembering Ken Mattingly | Astronomy.com

    November 6, 2023
  • Latest
  • About Us
Reading: Japan’s H3 rocket launch fails after second stage malfunction
Share
Aa
Space Science DigitalSpace Science Digital
  • Environment
  • Space Flight
  • Cosmology
  • Technology
Search
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Environment
    • Technology
    • Cosmology
    • Space Flight
  • More Foxiz
    • Blog Index
    • Forums
    • Complaint
    • Sitemap
Follow US
© 2023 Space Science Digital. All Rights Reserved.
Space Science Digital > Blog > News > Japan’s H3 rocket launch fails after second stage malfunction
News

Japan’s H3 rocket launch fails after second stage malfunction

By Jayden Hanson March 7, 2023 5 Min Read
Share


SEOUL, South Korea — Japan’s brand-new H3 rocket was destroyed on its March 7 inaugural flight after the vehicle’s second-stage engine failed to ignite. This marked a major setback for the nation’s years-long efforts to develop a more capable and cost-effective alternative to the nation’s current workhorse, H-2A.

“A destruct command has been transmitted to H3 around 10:52 a.m. (Japan Standard Time), because there was no possibility of achieving the mission,” the Japanese space agency JAXA announced, confirming the engine failure. It did not share further details.

This ill-fated launch came after a series of delays, including one last month in which JAXA aborted the rocket’s first launch attempt moments before liftoff, citing an anomaly in side-mounted solid rocket boosters, which the agency later said stemmed from a problem with the electrical system that supplies power to the main engine.

Fixing the problem, the agency initially set the rocket’s second launch attempt for March 6, and it was delayed by one day due to unfavorable weather conditions.

The H3 lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center at 10:37 a.m. (JST) as scheduled, or 8:37 p.m. March 6 Eastern, carrying Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 (ALOS-3), a 3-ton optical imaging satellite, built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.

Live footage showed the 63-meter expendable rocket soaring up into the sky with bright yellow flames spewed from two side-mounted solid rocket boosters. The side boosters were jettisoned about two minutes after liftoff and stage separation took place about five minutes after liftoff, according to telemetry. However, the second-stage engine’s ignition was not confirmed and the its velocity was seen declining as the rocket’s altitude reached about 620 kilometers. JAXA then announced that the rocket was ordered to self-destruct.

The troubled second stage was powered by a single LE-5B-3 hydrogen-fueled engine, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). It is an improved version of the LE-5B engine flown on the H-2A rocket. MHI remains silent on the accident.

Japan’s science minister Keiko Nagaoka said the outcome was “extremely regrettable” and apologized for “failing to meet the expectations of the public and related parties,” according to Kyodo News. The minister said a task force established at her ministry will work with JAXA to determine what caused the failure “as promptly and thoroughly as possible.”

H3 was co-developed by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at a cost of 200 billion yen (about $1.5 billion), as a successor to H-2A, which is due to retire after its 50th launch. H-2A has conducted 46 launches to date.

Japan’s journey to develop H3 was long and winding. JAXA began developing H3 in partnership with MHI in 2014. It is meant to replace H-2A that has been operational since August 2001 with a new one with “high flexibility, high reliability, and high cost-performance.” The rocket’s inaugural launch was originally scheduled for March 2021, but was pushed back by around two years due to issues with the newly developed LE-9 first-stage engine.

The problems were first uncovered during qualifications testing in May 2020, which included cracked turbine blades in the LE-9’s turbopump assembly and a hole seared into its combustion chamber wall. To fix these, JAXA and MHI had to redesign the engine’s fuel turbopump and apply those same changes to the engine’s oxygen turbopump.

There are four variants of the H3 rocket, each in a unique configuration of LE-9 engines and side-mounted solid rocket boosters. All four versions use a second stage is powered a single LE-5B-3 engine. Depending on the version of the rocket, it can place a payload of at least 4 tons into a sun synchronous orbit (SSO), with a maximum capacity of 6.5 tons into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). It is a significant improvement from H-2A’s capacity of 3.8 tons to SSO and 4 tons to GTO. Future upgrades could make it possible for the rocket to deliver cargo to the moon, including the planned lunar Gateway that NASA is pursuing in cooperation with JAXA, the European Space Agency and others.

Related

TAGGED: fails, Japans, launch, malfunction, Rocket, stage

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
[mc4wp_form]
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Jayden Hanson March 7, 2023
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Leave a comment Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

[mc4wp_form]

HOT NEWS

Relativity Space set for maiden launch of Terran 1 rocket

Space Flight
March 8, 2023

Is that this black gap jet making stars explode?

Again to Article Listing Greater than twice the anticipated quantity of novae have been discovered…

October 27, 2024

NASA Says Spacecraft Crash Test Successfully Changes Asteroid’s Orbit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A spacecraft that plowed into a small, harmless asteroid millions…

October 11, 2022

World-Saving Spacecraft Passes Test

NASA says its DART spacecraft successfully shifted the path of an asteroid. For us earthlings,…

October 11, 2022

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Proposed CASTOR Area Telescope Waits on Authorities

The proposed Canadian led Cosmological Superior Survey Telescope for Optical and uv Analysis, generally referred to by its acronym CASTOR,…

News
October 27, 2024

Dwelling (Alone) on Mars: Actor Daniel Stern on main NASA in ‘For All Mankind’

If there's certainly a multiverse the place in each attainable end result occurs, then in a type of universes Marv…

News
December 23, 2023

China Spacewalk: Photo voltaic Panel Restore Check

Picture credit score: China Nationwide Area Administration (CNSA)/China Central Tv (CCTV) The primary extravehicular exercise of the Shenzhou-17 mission was…

News
December 23, 2023

Watch large loop of plasma dance above the solar in gorgeous video

Miguel Claro is an expert photographer, writer and science communicator primarily based in Lisbon, Portugal, who creates spectacular pictures of…

News
December 23, 2023
We use our own and third-party cookies to improve our services, personalise your advertising and remember your preferences.
  • Jobs Board
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Exclusives
  • Learn How
  • Support
  • Solutions
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Editorial Policy
  • Marketing Solutions
  • Industry Intelligence

Follow US: 

Space Science Digital

Welcome to spacescience.digital, A source for the latest news and developments in the exciting field of space science. Our blog covers a wide range of topics, from the latest space missions and discoveries to updates on technology and scientific breakthroughs. We are passionate about sharing the wonders of the universe with our readers and providing them with engaging and informative content. Join us on this fascinating journey as we explore the mysteries of space and the frontiers of human knowledge.

© 2024 Space Science Digital. All Rights Reserved.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?