JAXA - H3 TF1 / ALOS-3 Mission patch.
March 7, 2023
H3 Launch Vehicle carrying ALOS-3 liftoff
The first H3 Launch Vehicle (H3/TF1:Test Flight No.1) launched the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 (ALOS-3) “Daichi-3” from the Tanegashima Space Center, on 7 March 2023, at 01:37 UTC (10:37 local time).
The First Launch of the H3 Launch Vehicle (H3/TF1)
Because the second stage engine did not ignite as planned, a disctruct command has been sent and the mission was declared lost. The H3 Launch Vehicle is JAXA’s “new flagship rocket aiming at achieving high flexibility, high reliability, and high cost performance”.
H3 is designed to offer several variants with “two types of fairings, two or three first-stage engines (LE-9), and zero, two or four solid rocket boosters (SRB-3) to deal with various payload sizes and orbits”.
About Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 (ALOS-3) “だいち3号”
Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 “DAICHI-3” (ALOS-3) is a successor of the optical mission of Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS). The sensor onboard ALOS-3 is designed for an improved ground resolution (0.8 m) and wide-swath (70 km) simultaneously by expanding the size and upgrading performance compared to that of ALOS. ALOS-3 observations regularly cover all of the land areas of not only Japan but also across the whole world.
Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 (ALOS-3)
ALOS-3 aims to become one of the key tools for disaster managements and countermeasures of the central and local governments; therefore, ALOS-3 is always ready for urgent observation of the affected area wherever disaster strikes. In addition to that, the system for product distribution is also developed in order to deliver images for both before and after the disaster to users swiftly.
Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 (ALOS-3) description
The observed data from ALOS-3 is expected to lead to progress in the various fields due to its unique imaging capabilities; it will make a significant contribution to upgrading global geospatial information and research and application for monitoring of the coastal/vegetation environment.
About H3 Launch Vehicle (H3ロケッ)
The H3 Launch Vehicle is Japan's new flagship rocket aiming at achieving high flexibility, high reliability, and high cost performance. Its maiden flight is set for JFY 2020. H3 will offer several lineups by selection of two types of fairings, two or three first-stage engines (LE-9), and zero, two or four solid rocket boosters (SRB-3) to deal with various payload sizes and orbits. Its launch capability to the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) will be the highest ever, exceeding that of the existing H-IIA and H-IIB Launch Vehicles.
H3 Launch Vehicle
H3 is under development to be a successor to H-IIA and H-IIB so that Japan can maintain its autonomous access to space to launch satellites and probes including important missions for the government. We are eager to launch commercial satellites every year as well.
JAXA and its prime contractor, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), and other related companies are all hands on deck from the development phase to leverage their experiences to renovate the whole system for producing a low cost, flexible and reliable rocket.
Related links:
H3 Launch Vehicle: https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/h3/
Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 “DAICHI-3” (ALOS-3):
https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/alos3/
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA): https://global.jaxa.jp/
Images, Video, Text, Credits: Credits: JAXA/SciNews/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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