Japan's H3 Rocket Places Satellite into Orbit

Jul 01 (NHK) - Japan's new flagship H3 rocket has successfully placed an Earth observation satellite into orbit in its third launch. The rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima shortly after midday on Monday.

Sponsored Links

Travel and accommodations

Tokyo's hottest fashion

Hiring in Japan now

Buzzing Popular Restaurants

The H3 let go of its booster rockets and first-stage engine before it released the satellite, Daichi-4, in the scheduled orbit about 17 minutes after liftoff.

Daichi-4, which utilizes radar technology, is expected to be used in observing damage caused by disasters and for swift detection of abnormal changes related to volcanic activity.

The H3 rocket is being developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

The launch of the first H3 rocket last year ended in failure and the loss of the Earth observation satellite, Daichi-3, which it was carrying.

After countermeasures were put in place, the second attempt in February this year was successful.

The third launch marked its first successful placing of a large satellite into orbit.

Fiscal 2025 is expected to see the H3 rocket fully replace the current mainstay H2A rocket, which is set to retire after its 50th launch in fiscal 2024.

JAXA aims to launch six H3 rockets annually.

Three Infant Skeletons Found in Kanagawa Apartment Room

The skeletonized remains of three infants were discovered in an apartment in Kanagawa's Fujisawa City, prompting the police to investigate the male resident on suspicion of abandoning corpses.

Explosion Site at Expo Opened to Media

The site of the methane gas explosion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo venue was opened to the media on Tuesday, revealing the area where the explosion occurred during restroom construction in March this year, when a spark from welding ignited flammable gas. It was found that methane gas had accumulated underground.

Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Staging Own Death

A man accused of killing a university student by injecting alcohol in a hotel room in Hiroshima Prefecture to fraudulently claim over 600 million yen in life insurance has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. The prosecution argued that the man disguised the victim as himself to receive the insurance payout.

Three Years Since the Coup: Japanese National Detained in Myanmar Over Rice Prices

It has been three years since Myanmar experienced a military coup. Although not a major tourist destination for Japanese citizens, over 300 Japanese companies have established operations in Myanmar.

Major Bridge at Risk of Collapse After Heavy Rain in Hita City

A bridge in Hita City, Oita Prefecture, is at high risk of collapse and has been completely closed to traffic.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Japan's H3 Rocket Places Satellite into Orbit

Japan's new flagship H3 rocket has successfully placed an Earth observation satellite into orbit in its third launch. The rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima shortly after midday on Monday. (NHK)

Japan's Geothermal Power: A 24/7 Energy Solution?

A large-scale geothermal power project comparable to nuclear power is underway in Japan, with the government and private sector accelerating their efforts toward a green transformation (GX) and renewable energy transition. However, rising power consumption, partly due to the spread of AI, has sent the demand for electricity skyrocketing.