Witness Japan’s latest milestone in space exploration! Discover how the new ALOS-4 satellite, launched on the H3 rocket, will revolutionize disaster response and mapping.
Japan launched its next-generation mainstay H3 rocket carrying an Earth observation satellite (ALOS-4) from a southwestern island space center off the ground successfully on Monday. this, further boosted the country’s space ambitions after the vehicle failed in its launch debut last year.
The domestically developed H3 rocket No. 3 took off from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at 12:06 p.m. It released the first stage about 5 minutes later. The satellite separated some 16 minutes later at an altitude of about 613 kilometers.
It is highly believed that it consumes way less fuel as compared to H1-H2 rockets developed so far.
Easy-to-use launch vehicle
From research and forecast of what types of launch requirements will be required in 2020 and beyond, the following describes what the H3 launch Vehicle is tailored to high flexibility, high reliability, and large cost performance.
The launch service price will be afforded at less than that of H-2A.
Matter of fact, the LE-9 engine happens to be the main engine of the H3 Launch Vehicle. Whereas, the H3’s engine demands more thrust than any other liquid rocket engine previously developed by Japan.
What is ALOS-4?
The H3 launched the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center tonight, ALOS-4 rising off the pad at 11:06 p.m. EDT and also known as DAICHI-4; 0306 GMT and 12:06 p.m. Japan Standard Time on July 1.
ALOS-4 was released to low Earth orbit some 16 minutes after launch, according to commentators on a webcast provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
It has been something of a bumpy ride for the H3 on its way to orbit. The new rocket was originally meant to make its first flight back in 2020. Unfortunately, developmental problems with the engines, among other things, delayed that first launch into March 2023.
Was the landing successful this time?
The initial liftoff to that didn’t turn out well, as the H3’s upper-stage engine failed ignition, killing its payload in the process—the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3, or ALOS-3, also known as DAICHI-3. This time, however, the country’s space agency gave a go-ahead signal! Japan sees a stable, commercially competitive space transport capability as important to its space program and national security.
[…] the ground from space for national security, aside from checking for damage from big disasters. Japan aims to launch one more H2A rocket into orbit before it switches over to the new H3 […]