Japan's Lunar Landing Retry... Main Rocket Launch Scheduled for the 26th of Next Month

JAXA Launches H2A Rocket No. 47

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Japan is set to retry its repeatedly failed attempts at lunar landing and main rocket launches.

According to major foreign media including Kyodo News and Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 11th, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced that the H2A rocket No. 47, carrying the small lunar explorer 'SLIM' and the astronomical satellite 'Kurizumu,' will be launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu, at around 9:34 a.m. on the 26th of next month. To prepare for bad weather and other contingencies, the launch backup period is set from the 27th of next month to September 15.

JAXA originally planned to launch H2A No. 47 in May. However, the schedule was postponed after the failure of the first H3 rocket, a new rocket intended to replace H2A, in March. At that time, the H3 No. 1 rocket was destroyed during ascent without confirmation of ignition of the second-stage engine. Earlier, in October last year, JAXA's small solid-fuel rocket 'Epsilon No. 6' also encountered problems during ascent. The launch dates for the successor 'Epsilon S' and H3 No. 2 have not yet been determined.

The H2A to be launched next month has successfully launched 40 consecutive times so far, but it uses the same equipment for the second-stage engine as the H3. H2A No. 47 is expected to be a signal for the resumption of Japanese rocket launches.

Since 'SLIM' will be onboard H2A No. 47, attention is focused on whether Japan's first lunar landing will succeed. Previously, JAXA's ultra-small lunar explorer 'Omotenashi' lost communication in November last year. The lunar lander developed by the private company ispace also crashed on the lunar surface in April.

JAXA plans to land SLIM, which is 2.4 meters tall, near the lunar equator 4 to 6 months after the launch.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.