The H2A rocket carrying the government’s intelligence-gathering satellite successfully launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on the 12th.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched H2A rocket No. 48 at 1:44 p.m., as scheduled on the same day. The information gathering satellite Optical No. 8 mounted on the rocket was then inserted into the planned orbit, and the launch was successful.
Regarding domestically produced rockets, the launch of the small rocket “Epsilon 6” in October 2022 and the “H3”, the successor to the H2A, failed in March last year, as well as the launch of the small solid fuel rocket “Epsilon S” in July. An explosion occurred during a combustion test for “, and trust in the company has been shaken.
The H2A launched this time boasts high reliability with a success rate of about 98% so far, but it is scheduled to end with the 50th launch, and the results of the re-launch attempt of the H3 scheduled for next month will be of interest. .
The H2A rocket launched this time was carrying a vehicle with the purpose of gathering information necessary for security and crisis management such as large-scale disasters.satelliteis. Japan introduced intelligence-gathering satellites in response to North Korea’s missile launches in 1998. There are optical satellites that detect light from the earth’s surface and radar satellites that emit electromagnetic waves and detect reflected waves, and are said to be de facto reconnaissance satellites.The government spends about 80 billion yen every year for development and maintenance.budgeted for。
As North Korea repeatedly launches ballistic missiles, the design lifespan is approachingIt is said to be 5 years.In order to maintain the information-gathering satellite system, it is necessary to continually develop and update satellites, and the government has set a long-term schedule.According to the Cabinet Secretariat, which is in charge of the operation of information-gathering satellites, Radar No. 8 will be launched on H2A in fiscal 2014, and subsequent flagship satellites will be launched on H3.schedulehas been done.
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2024-01-12 05:57:56
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