Japan cancels launch of new H3 rocket due to problems with lateral booster

Japan's H3 rocket failed to go into space due to technical faults. The mission was aborted in emergency mode immediately after liftoff.

Here's What We Know

On the morning of 17 February, an advanced H3 rocket was due to go into space with the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 (ALOS-3). It weighs around 3,000kg and is designed for disaster use because it can track objects as small as 80cm.

The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) aborted the mission due to a failure of the solid-fuel side booster. The LE-9 engines installed in the main stage were operating normally.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and JAXA have been engaged in the development of the H3 rocket for 10 years. During that time, the agency has had to postpone launches several times. However, the agency is banking on the H3, which is cost-effective.

Source: space