Japan's final H2A rocket successfully lifts off, ends 24-yr career
Japan successfully launched its 50th and final H2A liquid-fuel rocket from a southwestern Japan island on Sunday, drawing the curtain on the series' 24-year career in support of the country's space development program.
The H2A rocket, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, has been replaced as the country's mainstay space vehicle by the H3 rocket, which offers a lower launch service price.
The final H2A rocket, which blasted off from Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture at 1:33 a.m., placed in orbit a government satellite for observing greenhouse gas levels and monitoring climate change.
The satellite separated from the rocket at an altitude of around 670 kilometers near the equator and deployed its solar panels, with its operation confirmed by JAXA.
"I was more nervous than ever about the launch and feel like I'm still dreaming. We achieved our long-cherished goal of a 98 percent success rate," said Keiji Suzuki, a Mitsubishi Heavy official in charge of the rocket launch.
At a park near the Tanegashima Space Center, around 1,300 people gathered early Sunday to watch the launch, cheering as the rocket ascended in the darkness.
"I was impressed by the loud sound and light. I'm excited to see the next H3 rocket," said 7-year-old Hikari Nagoe.
Since 2001, the H2A series has supported the country's aerospace exploration by sending satellites and probes into space, raising its reliability over time.
Its long career was rocky at times. The No. 6 rocket failed in 2003 when a booster did not separate and the ground crew ordered its destruction. It was discovered later that a damaged jet nozzle was the cause of the breakdown.
It took one year and three months until the succeeding No. 7 flew successfully after alterations were made.
Sunday's launch was postponed by Mitsubishi Heavy from June 24 due to an equipment abnormality.
The H3 rocket, also developed by Mitsubishi Heavy and JAXA, is expected to help the country gain a foothold in the satellite-launch business that has become increasingly competitive with the rise of SpaceX of the United States.
The H3 rocket debuted in March 2023 but its maiden flight ended with a self-destruct order minutes after liftoff due to the failure of the second-stage engine to ignite. The succeeding launches, including the latest No. 5 in February, have been successful.
Related coverage:
Japan ispace fails in bid for 1st Moon landing by Asian private firm
Astronaut Onishi blasts off on mission as 3rd Japanese to lead ISS
Japan firm's rover ends mission on Moon, gives up surface exploration
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
11 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
H2A Rocket: Pass Advanced Technology on to Next Generation
Japan's mainstay large H2A rocket was successfully launched for the model's final flight, concluding its operations. The rocket, which was highly reliable, made a significant achievement as it played an important role that will go down in history as part of Japan's space development. The H2A was jointly developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. The first rocket was launched in 2001, and the 50th rocket was used in the latest launch. During this time, the only failure was the sixth launch in 2003, giving the H2A a success rate of 98%. It can be said that this figure is one of the highest for rocket launches. There were only a few major delays in launches, which was another selling point of the H2A, since it was easy for the companies that asked for launches to work out their schedules. Throughout a quarter of a century in operation, the H2A has carried many satellites into space, including the Hayabusa2 probe, which brought back sand samples collected from the surface of an asteroid; the SLIM lander, which was Japan's first successful lunar lander; and government information-gathering satellites. Launching satellites is related to national security. It is becoming increasingly important for Japan to maintain its own rockets for launching satellites, rather than relying on other countries to launch them. It is significant that Japan has maintained its own launch capability with the H2A. On the other hand, the H2A cost about ¥10 billion per launch. Due to its inability to compete on the global market, there have been few contracts with overseas firms. In recent years, the global market for space development has been changing drastically. More companies in the private sector are entering the space business, and there is a growing need to win orders for satellite launches at low prices. The U.S. company SpaceX, which has cratered prices in the rocket launch market, has set the trend. The company's success in developing reusable rockets has led to launches at lower costs and at shorter intervals. The role of the H2A will be taken over by the H3 rocket, which was successfully launched last year. With the H3, the aim is to keep the cost of launches down to ¥5 billion through various measures, including using automobile parts. The frequency of launches will also increase from the H2A's average of about twice a year. Through these improvements, it is hoped that a system will be put in place to receive orders from customers worldwide. It is also essential to map out a strategy that looks beyond the H3. The development of a new engine for the H3 faced difficulties. This is probably because the technology has not been sufficiently passed down to the next generation as a result of the lack of opportunities to develop rockets since the H2A was designed. The development of a successor rocket to the H3 should begin as soon as possible in order to ensure that the technology is passed on to the next generation. Startup companies overseas are pursuing bold development without the fear of failure. Japan, too, must foster a mindset that allows for a certain degree of failure and seeks to increase the speed of development. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 1, 2025)
Yomiuri Shimbun
a day ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
More Commercial Launches a Must for H2a Rocket's Successor; Mitsubishi Heavy, JAXA Aim to Halve Launch Cost with H3
The H2A rocket, which was retired on Sunday after the model's 50th launch, delivered many satellites vital for scientific research and Japan's social infrastructure into space. However, it failed to win enough orders for commercial launches, a problem that has been passed on to its successor, the H3. 'Over the past 24 years, [the H2A] has made a significant contribution to the autonomy of Japan's space activities through a steady stream of launches,' said Hiroshi Yamakawa, president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), at a press conference at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture. The H2A launched more than 70 satellites and other objects into space, serving as the backbone of Japan's space transportation. However, there was an average of only two launches a year, and most depended on 'public demand' for government satellites. There were only orders for commercial launches for five satellites belonging to foreign countries, such as South Korea and the United Kingdom. The launch fee was expensive, reaching as high as ¥10 billion. For Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., which took over the manufacture and operation of the H2A from JAXA in 2007, winning commercial orders has been a longstanding issue. The H3 was jointly developed by MHI and JAXA with the aim of halving the launch fee. 'We would like to receive as many orders for launches from overseas and domestic companies as government missions,' said Iwao Igarashi, senior general manager of the company's Space Systems Division. Demand for launches is rising as the space business expands. According to the Cabinet Office, 253 rockets were successfully launched worldwide in 2024, 2.75 times more than 10 years ago. Japan launched a total of five H2A and H3 rockets that year, compared to 153 in the United States and 66 in China. In particular, the U.S. company SpaceX, which has developed a rocket where the first stage can be reused, dominates the market with about 130 launches a year. 'If we cannot win the competition in the market, we will not be able to maintain the [domestic] industry, and there will be no companies or personnel to manufacture rockets. Our current technology will one day become obsolete, so it is essential to develop a rocket to succeed the H3,' said Hiroaki Akiyama, professor of space policy at Wakayama University.
Asahi Shimbun
2 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Japan launches a climate change monitoring satellite on mainstay H2A rocket's last flight
Japan on Sunday successfully launched a climate change monitoring satellite on its mainstay H-2A rocket, which made its final flight before it is replaced by a new flagship model designed to be more cost competitive in the global space market. The H-2A rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan, carrying the GOSAT-GW satellite as part of Tokyo's effort to mitigate climate change. The satellite was safely separated from the rocket and released into a planned orbit about 16 minutes later. Scientists and space officials at the control room exchanged hugs and handshakes to celebrate the successful launch, which was delayed by several days due to a malfunctioning of the rocket's electrical systems. 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 his career work. 'I've spent my entire life at work not to drop H-2A rocket ... All I can say is I'm so relieved." Sunday's launch marked the 50th and final flight for the H-2A, which has served as Japan's mainstay rocket to carry satellites and probes into space with a near-perfect record since its 2001 debut. After its retirement, it will be fully replaced by the H3, which is already in operation, as Japan's new main flagship. 'It is a deeply emotional moment for all of us at JAXA as a developer,' Hiroshi Yamakawa, president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, told a news conference. The GOSAT-GW, or Global Observing SATellite for Greenhouse gases and Water cycle, is a third series in the mission to monitor carbon, methane and other greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Within one year, it will start distributing data such as sea surface temperature and precipitation with much higher resolution to users around the world, including the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, officials said. The liquid-fuel H-2A rocket with two solid-fuel sub-rockets developed by 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 carried into space many satellites and probes, including Japan's moon lander SLIM last year, and a popular Hayabusa2 spacecraft in 2014 to reach a distant asteroid, contributing to the country's space programs. The completion of H-2A lets him put more resources into further development of the H3, Suzuki said. Japan sees a stable, commercially competitive space transport capability as key to its space program and national security, and has been developing two new flagship rockets as successors of the H-2A series — the larger H3 with Mitsubishi, and a much smaller Epsilon system with the aerospace unit of the heavy machinery maker IHI. It hopes to cater to diverse customer needs and improve its position in the growing satellite launch market. The H3, is designed to carry larger payloads than the H-2A at about half its launch cost to be globally competitive, though officials say more cost reduction efforts are needed to achieve better price competitiveness in the global market. The H3 has made four consecutive successful flights after a failed debut attempt in 2023, when the rocket had to be destroyed with its payload.
