JAXA to make second attempt to launch H3 rocket on February 15

Dec 29 (NHK) - Japan's space agency says it will make a second attempt to launch the country's new flagship H3 rocket on February 15.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, officially announced the schedule on Thursday. Liftoff is set for 9:22 a.m. from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

The first launch in March this year ended in failure after the rocket's second-stage engine did not ignite. After analyzing flight data and conducting studies, JAXA identified three main factors contributing to the failure.

The space agency then took necessary measures, including the introduction of more stringent checks on parts and components, with the aim of making a second attempt by the end of March 2024.

The H3 is the successor to the H2A and the first large rocket developed by Japan in about 30 years.

The new rocket is designed to increase payload capacity to 1.3 times that of the H2A, while cutting the launch cost by roughly half.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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