Tokyo – Japan He successfully launched a climate change monitoring satellite in his main H-2A rocket, which made his final flight before being replaced by a new flagship model designed to be more competitive in the global space market.
The H-2A rocket took off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwest Japan, carrying the Gosat-GW satellite as part of Tokyo’s effort to mitigate climate change. The satellite safely separated from the rocket and released in a planned orbit about 16 minutes later.
Space scientists and officials in the control room exchanged hugs and handshakes to celebrate the successful launch, which was delayed several days due to a malfunction of the electrical systems of the rocket.
Keiji Suzuki, a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries official in charge of rocket launch operations, said he was more nervous than ever for the final mission of the rocket, which has been the work of his career. ‘I have spent my whole life working so as not to drop the H-2a rocket … all I can say is that I am very relieved, “he said.
The launch of Sunday marked the 50 and end flight of the H-2A, which has served as the main rocket of Japan to transport satellites and probes to the space with an almost perfect record since its debut in 2001. After its retirement, it will be completely replaced by the H3, which is already in operation, such as the new main flagship of Japan.
“It is a deeply emotional moment for all of us in Jaxa as a developer,” said Hiroshi Yamakawa, president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, at a press conference.
The Gosat-GW, or global observation satellite for greenhouse gases and water cycle, is a third series in the mission to monitor carbon, methane and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Within a year, it will begin to distribute data such as the temperature of the sea surface and precipitation with a much higher resolution to users around the world, including the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration of the United States, officials said.
The Liquid Fuel H-2A rocket with two solid fuel subcohetes developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has so far had 49 flights with a 98%success record, with only one failure in 2003. Mitsubishi Heavy has provided its launch operation since 2007.
H-2A successfully transported many satellites and probes, including the Lunar Slim Lunar landing module of Japan last year, and a popular Haabusa spacecraft2 in 2014 to reach a distant asteroid, contributing to the country’s space programs.
The end of the H-2A allows you to devote more resources to the development of the H3, said Suzuki.
Japan considers that a stable and commercially competitive space transport capacity is key to its space program and national safety, and has been developing two new flags as successors of the H-2A series: the largest H3 with Mitsubishi, and a much smaller EPSILON system with the aerospace unit of the IHI heavy machinery manufacturer. He hopes to meet the diverse customers’ needs and improve their position in the growing satellite launch market.
H3 is designed to transport useful loads larger than H-2A to approximately half of its launch cost to be globally competitive, although officials say that more cost reduction efforts are needed to achieve better price competitiveness in the global market.
The H3 has made four consecutive successful flights after an attempt to debut failed in 2023, when the rocket had to be destroyed with its payload.