Japan's H3 launch breathes new life into battered space industry

TOKYO - A giant leap for a country which last developed a flagship rocket 23 years ago.

- Walter Sim

That is what experts and the Japanese media are saying about Japan's successful launch of its next-generation H3 rocket on Feb 17, which has breathed new life into its space industry.

The H3 launch vehicle, which was co-developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), will in future carry into orbit commercial, research, weather monitoring and military reconnaissance satellites.

The H3 rocket will replace the expensive H2A, which was most recently launched in January for the 48th time, bearing a spy probe to monitor North Korean missile sites. The H2A rocket, with a launch success rate of 97.9 per cent, will be retired by March 2025 after clocking a total of 50 lift-offs.

The H3's successful launch comes after its maiden flight failed in March 2023, denting confidence in Japan's manufacturing prowess as its rivals surged ahead.

The significance of the H3 launch is multifold.

First, it is a statement of Japan's intent to enter a lucrative commercial space industry that has been dominated by Mr Elon Musk's SpaceX, whose Falcon 9 is launched once every four days or SO.

Underscoring the demand for such launch vehicles, South Korea fired its first domestic spy satellite into space on a Falcon 9 in December 2023.

The H3 is also a key piece in Japan's first Space Security Initiative. Released in June 2023, the document spelt out the need to "expand the use of data from space systems to address various security challenges".