Japan’s space ambitions fizzle after rocket failure

Japan's space ambitions fizzle after rocket failure. The H3, Japan’s newest rocket, was seen as Tokyo’s competitor to Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9, but its botched maiden flight could seriously undermine Japan’s chances of becoming a real contender in the potentially lucrative commercial satellite la

March 12, 2023 . 10:37 AM

1 min read

When Japan’s space agency issued a self-destruct command to its new flagship rocket this week, it was more than just the 63-metre H3 that went up in smoke.
The H3, Japan’s newest rocket, was seen as Tokyo’s competitor to Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9, and launched at an ambitious cost of ¥5bn ($37mn).
The botched maiden flight, which was already two years behind schedule, could seriously undermine Japan’s chances of becoming a real contender in the potentially lucrative commercial satellite launch market.
It could take more than a year for Jaxa to investigate the engine failure’s cause and relaunch the H3, and rivals like SpaceX and Arianespace are likely to succeed in bringing down costs further.
The failure of the H3’s second-stage engine to ignite left engineers at both MHI and Jaxa baffled.