Japan forced to destroy flagship H3 rocket in failed launch

Japan’s efforts to compete in the commercial rocket market suffered a setback on Tuesday when the country’s space agency was forced to destroy its H3 rocket during a failed launch. 

The rocket’s second-stage engine failed minutes after lift-off, leading to a self-destruct command from Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). 

The H3 rocket is Japan’s first medium-lift rocket in 30 years and was developed as a cheaper alternative to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 for launching satellites into Earth’s orbit. The H3 rocket is run on a lower-cost engine with 3D-printed parts. 

The launch failure is seen as a significant setback for Jaxa’s space program and future competitiveness in the industry.

H3 rocket failure to be investigated 

The 57m rocket was supposed to head into space with a monitoring satellite on board – the ALOS-3 system is capable of detecting North Korean missile launches. 

But soon after launch, engineers were forced to send a self-destruct prompt to the H3 after it experienced “reduced velocity” in the second stage of its launch.

The failed launch came after February’s launch was aborted due to the rocket failing to get off the launch pad due to faulty rocket boosters. 

“Unlike the previous cancellation and postponement, this time it was a complete failure,” Hirotaka Watanabe, a space policy professor at Osaka University told Reuters.

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

Japan’s science minister Keiko Nagaoka said authorities will now investigate the cause of the engine failure. 

She apologised for “failing to meet the expectations of the public and related parties” and described the development as “extremely regrettable”.

Had Japan’s launch been successful, JAXA had planned to launch the H3 around six times a year for the next two decades. 

Japan is deepening cooperation with NASA in space and Tokyo’s broader space programme includes sending people to the moon again – including Japanese astronauts.