Japan's H3 rocket, created by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, launched at 3:06 a.m. GMT from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center with the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 (ALOS-4) aboard.
JAXA reported that the ALOS-4 satellite was launched into low-Earth orbit (LEO) as planned, ~16 minutes after the liftoff. The ALOS-4 is a three-ton satellite, a replacement for the ALOS-2 satellite. Since its departure in 2014, the ALOS-2 has been studying Earth using synthetic aperture radar, which ALOS-4 will now continue.
Analyst QuickTake: The H3 rocket was initially expected to lift off in 2020 but was delayed and had its first test launch in March 2023 . However, the first test launch was unsuccessful due to engine failure and a destruct command was issued, which also destroyed the ALOS-3 satellite in the process.
By using this site, you agree to allow SPEEDA Edge and our partners to use cookies for analytics and personalization. Visit our privacy policy for more information about our data collection practices.