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Japan’s H3 flagship rocket fails to lift off after engine glitch
- The H3’s main engine cut off after the launch countdown had reached zero, leaving the rocket on its launch pad at the Tanegashima spaceport along with its payload
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries built the H3 as a cheaper alternative to rivals, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX
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Japan’s H3 rocket, the country’s first new medium-lift launcher in three decades, failed to lift off on Friday because two secondary booster engines strapped to the side of the space vehicle did not ignite.
During the live-streamed event, the H3’s main engine cut off after the launch countdown had reached zero, leaving the 57-metre (187ft) rocket on its launch pad at the Tanegashima spaceport along with its payload, the ALOS-3 land observation satellite, which is also equipped with an infrared sensor designed to detect North Korean ballistic missiles.
“A lot of people have been following our progress and we are really sorry,” the H3 project manager at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Masahisa Okada said at a media briefing as he wiped away tears.
“It is really galling,” he added.
Okada said JAXA would aim for a second attempt before the end of March.
Japan built the H3 to enhance its independent access to space and bolster its chances of capturing a bigger share of the global launch market from rivals, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
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