Japan has successfully launched its 50th and final H2A rocket, ending the 24-year mission of H2A supporting the Northeast Asian nation's space development program.
The H2A rocket was launched from Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture at 1:33 a.m. local time on June 29, successfully putting into orbit a government satellite tasked with observing greenhouse gas levels and monitoring climate change.
The satellite separated from the rocket at an altitude of 670km near the equator, using solar panels to operate.
The H2A rocket was jointly developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and has been deployed since 2001.
Over the past 24 years, H2A has supported Japan's space program and has increasingly asserted its reputation in launching satellites and probes into space.
There were times during the 50 launches that the H2A did not operate smoothly, such as when H2A rocket No. 6 failed to separate from the booster and was forced to explode during a 2003 launch. It took 15 months for rocket No. 7 to successfully launch.
The 50th launch was scheduled for June 24 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries but was postponed to June 29 due to an abnormality detected in the equipment.
Replacing the H2A will be the H3 generation rocket, also developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and JAXA, which is considered to have more economical launch costs, helping to improve competitiveness with its American rival SpaceX.
The H3 rocket first debuted in March 2023, but the test flight failed when the second engine stage failed, forcing the rocket to self-destruct just minutes after launch. Subsequent launches have been successful, with the latest launch in February./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/nhat-ban-ket-thuc-su-menh-ho-tro-phat-trien-vu-tru-cua-ten-lua-h2a-post1047039.vnp
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