Tokyo: Japan's H3 rocket successfully launched six small satellites into orbit in its latest launch this morning from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan. The H3 rocket number 6 was launched at approximately 09:53 local time, smoothly ascending to an orbit at an altitude of 580 kilometers. This marks a significant step and a stable return for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) after a previous mission failure in December due to engine problems.
According to Thai News Agency, JAXA unveiled a new test rocket structure called the "30 configuration" or H3-30 with this launch. This model eliminates the solid-fuel booster and instead relies on power from three liquid-fueled LE-9 main engines to minimize costs, weight, and assembly time. JAXA stated that this model is lighter and less expensive than other H3 rocket models, and the success of this flight completes the H3 series of rockets, making them fully operational.
This rocket carried six small satellites and test equipment into space. Notable satellites include Umitsubame, developed by Tokyo University of Science, which is equipped with a high-performance camera for Earth observations, and Shiraito, developed by Shizuoka University, focused on testing technologies for collecting space debris in orbit. In addition, a test satellite from France was also launched, making them the first overseas commercial customer for this rocket model.
The success of this mission has greatly boosted confidence in Japan's space industry and paved the way for its co-developer, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to aim for 6-8 H3 rocket launches per year in order to compete for market share and match global competitors like SpaceX on price.