Latest news with #Tanegashima
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Japan launches a climate change monitoring satellite on mainstay H2A rocket's last flight
TOKYO (AP) — 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 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 released into a planned orbit about 16 minutes later. The launch follows several days of delays because of malfunctioning of the rocket's electrical systems. 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. 'Even though our launches seemed stable, we have run into difficulties and overcome them one by one to come this far,' said Iwao Igarashi, senior general manager of the space systems division at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which operated launch services. 'As we now move on to the H3 launch service, we will firmly keep up the trust we gained from H-2A." 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. 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.
Japan Times
a day ago
- Science
- Japan Times
Japan's H2A rocket retired after successful final launch
Japan's flagship H2A rocket lifted off for the final time at 1:33 a.m. on Sunday from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, successfully concluding a 24-year run that has defined the nation's space capabilities. The rocket's 50th and final mission carrieds the GOSAT-GW, a government-developed hybrid environmental observation satellite. The satellite combines the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for monitoring ocean surface temperatures and water cycle dynamics with the TANSO sensor, which measures greenhouse gases, and is expected to play a key role in the country's climate change mitigation and resource management. With this final launch, the H2A retires with a stellar track record — 49 successful launches out of 50, a success rate of 98%. Jointly developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the 53-meter rocket debuted in 2001 and quickly became the workhorse of the country's space program. Some of H2A's most vital payloads were weather and reconnaissance satellites that support the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System. It also enabled landmark missions such as the 2014 launch of the Hayabusa2 asteroid probe, which successfully returned samples from the asteroid Ryugu to Earth, and contributed to Japan's first successful lunar landing in January 2024 by carrying the SLIM lander. Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the launch was delayed after an anomaly was detected in the rocket's second-stage electrical system. Engineers completed the necessary repairs and re-inspections before clearing it for flight. The decision to retire the H2A comes amid rising global competition in the space launch industry, where cost-efficiency has become a key differentiator. While the H2A offered world-class reliability, its average per-launch cost of around ¥10 billion ($69 million) made it increasingly difficult to compete with rockets with lower price— to— payload prices, such as SpaceX's Falcon 9. With the H2A now phased out, attention turns to its successor, the H3 rocket. Co-developed by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the H3 offers lower launch costs and increased launch frequency amid intensifying international competition. While its debut flight in March 2023 ended in failure, the program has since rebounded with four consecutive successful launches. The upcoming sixth H3 mission, scheduled for later in this year, will mark a key milestone. The rocket will be the first in its 30 configuration, using three liquid-propellant engines and no solid rocket boosters — a test of its low-cost configuration and a step toward Japan's effort to build a globally competitive launch platform.
Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Japan Launches Climate Change Monitoring Satellite
Japan on Sunday launched a satellite monitoring greenhouse gas emissions using its longtime mainstay H-2A rocket, which made its final flight before it is replaced by a new flagship 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. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which operates the rocket launch, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, will hold a news conference later Sunday to give further details of the flight. 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 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, The Associated Press reported. The launch follows several days of delay due to malfunctioning in the rocket's electrical systems. 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. 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.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Japan launches flagship H2A rocket for 50th and last time
Japan launched the country's flagship H2A rocket for the 50th and last time from the Tanegashima Space Centre Saturday. The rocket is carrying a satellite to monitor greenhouse gas emissions.
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Japan launches a climate change monitoring satellite on mainstay H2A rocket's last flight
Japan on Sunday launched a satellite to monitor greenhouse gas emissions using its mainstay H-2A rocket, which made its final flight before it is replaced by a new flagship designed to be more cost competitive in the global space market. The H-2A rocket successfully 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 released into orbit about 16 minutes later. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which operates the rocket launch, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, will hold a news conference later Sunday to give further details of the flight. 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. The launch follows several days of delays because of malfunctioning of the rocket's electrical systems. 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. It will start distributing data in about one year, 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 Industries has provided its launch operation since 2007. H-2A successfully carried into space 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. 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.
