TOKYO – Japan's space agency said its H3 rocket carrying a navigation satellite failed to reach its planned orbit, a setback for the country's new flagship and its space launch programme.
The failure is the second setback for Japan's new rocket after its botched debut flight in 2023 and six successful flights. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki 5 satellite launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Japan's southwestern island as part of Japan's plans to have its own more accurate positioning system.
The second stage rocket engine burn was unexpectedly terminated prematurely, and the subsequent separation of the satellite from the rocket could not be confirmed, Masashi Okada, executive director and launch director at JAXA, said at a press conference. Whether the satellite was launched into space or where it ended up is unknown, and JAXA is examining data to determine the cause and other details, Okada said.
apnews.com/gnews.cz-jav
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