Engine Problem, Japan’s New Rocket Fails To Complete Mission

Japan’s new medium lift rocket failed in its maiden flight in space Tuesday (7/3), after its launcher’s second stage engine did not start as planned. It is a blow to Japan’s efforts to slash costs of getting to space and compete with Elon Musk’s Space-X.

The 57-meter H3 rocket lifted off without a hitch from the Tanegashima spaceport, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) live broadcast showed.

But once it reached space, the rocket’s second-stage engine failed to start, forcing mission personnel to manually destroy the probe.

“It was decided the rocket was unable to complete its mission, so a destroy order was issued,” said a commentator on the launch broadcast from JAXA. “Then what happen? It’s something we have to investigate by looking at all the data.”

A public relations officer for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) explains the failure of the H3 rocket launch to media crew at the Tanegashima Space Center, southwest of Tanegashima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwest Japan, March 7, 2023. (Kyodo via REUTERS)

The failed attempt follows a launch that was canceled last month.
“Unlike previous cancellations and suspensions, this time it was a total failure,” said Hirotaka Watanabe, professor at Osaka University, an expert on space policy.

“This will have a serious impact on Japan’s future space policy, space business and technological competitiveness,” he added.

Japan’s first new rocket in three decades carries ALOS-3, a ground observation disaster management satellite, which is also equipped with an experimental infrared sensor designed to detect North Korean ballistic missile launches.

JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa (center), with JAXA Director for Launch Implementation, Yasuhiro Funo (left), during a press conference in Japan, Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (JAXA via AP)

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) which built the H3 said it had confirmed the situation regarding the rocket with JAXA and did not immediately comment.

MHI has estimated that the cost per launch of the H3 will be half that of its predecessor, the H-II, which will help it gain an advantage in a global launch market increasingly dominated by SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 rockets.

An MHI spokesperson earlier said the company also relied on the reliability of Japan’s older rockets to gain business advantage.

Japan’s “H3” rocket, carrying the advanced optical satellite “Daichi 3”, leaves the launch pad of the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima, southwest Japan, March 7, 2023. (JIJI Press/AFP)

In a report published last September, the Center for Strategic and International Studies put the cost of launching the Falcon 9 into low Earth orbit at $2,600 per kilogram. The cost of similar utilities for the H-II is $10,500.

If Tuesday’s launch is successful, the Japanese rocket will take to space ahead of the European Space Agency’s planned launch of the European Space Agency’s new low-cost Ariane 6 probe later this year.

Powered by a new, lower-cost, simpler engine that includes 3D printed parts, the H3 is designed to transport commercial and government satellites into Earth orbit and will carry logistics supplies to the International Space Station.

As part of Japan’s deepening cooperation with the US in space, the H3 will also be able to carry cargo to the Gateway lunar space station which the US Space Agency (NASA) plans to build as part of its program to bring humans back to the moon, including Japanese astronauts. .

MHI shares were down 1.8 percent in morning trade, while Japan’s benchmark stock index was up 0.4 percent. [uh/ab]