After two previously unsuccessful attempts, Japan plans to launch its next-gen H3 rocket in February.
While the exact timing is weather-dependent, on February 15, between 9:20 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. local time, the H3 launch vehicle is expected to take off from the Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) in southern Japan.
The complex is the largest of its kind in the country at roughly 9,700,000 square meters, or approximately 3.7 square miles, according to the TNSC website. The precise timing will be determined two days ahead of the launch.
The H3 is a heavy payload rocket produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. At over 206 feet tall, the launch vehicle represents Japan’s answer to the growing rush to accelerate private space travel and exploration by companies like SpaceX.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) wants the H3 to compete with SpaceX’s reusable rocket, the Falcon 9. However, the H3 remains single-use primarily, with only some parts that can be recycled.
A malfunction in the main engine and side booster in February 2023 halted the H3’s inaugural attempt at space flight. A subsequent attempt in March was stopped when the rocket’s second-state booster failed to ignite. This meant JAXA had to shut the engine down, prompting the rocket and the satellite it was delivering to fall back to Earth, dropping into the Philippine Sea.
The H3 is the successor to Japan’s flagship rocket, the H2-A, first introduced in 2001.
Japan aims to launch six H3 rockets each year, JAXA said in October.
