Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.T) launched an H IIA rocket carrying the Japanese government’s Information-Gathering Satellite “Optical-8”, the company said in a post on social media X on Friday. The satellite will gather information from the outer atmosphere to monitor the environment and help with meteorology and ocean observation. It was the 48th launch of Japan’s flagship launch vehicle since 2001, bringing the success rate to 97.92%.
The H-IIA can launch satellites into orbits, including Earth and geostationary transfer orbit. It uses a combination of liquid and solid fuel rocket boosters to increase thrust at certain stages of the flight. This allows it to carry heavier payloads than other launch vehicles and go on longer flights. The rocket also can fly multiple missions with the exact vehicle by adding additional solid rocket boosters.
With a 97 percent reliability rate, the H-IIA is blazing a trail in space transport. But JAXA and MHI are not resting on their laurels and have developed an upgraded version of the H-IIA that will be capable of adjusting the position of a satellite in its orbit, potentially extending its working lifespan. They are also planning a successor to the H-IIA and have already begun work on a radical, reusable rocket.
JAXA also plans to launch a new X-ray telescope, called the Observation Satellite for X-ray Science & Imaging Mission, or XRISM, in 2021. The space agency hopes the XRISM will shed light on the origins of dark matter, which is thought to hold together galactic clusters. It will also investigate the speed and makeup of what lies between galaxies. The XRISM will be joined by the SLIM, a small lunar lander that will be Japan’s first attempt to land on the moon.
MHI has taken steps to improve efficiency and reduce costs at its Tanegashima space center in southern Japan. The firm is implementing a lean manufacturing system and moving to a more efficient production facility. Its latest production line has 20 machines capable of inspecting and assembling the rocket’s main body, the H2. MHI expects to lower the launch price by about half with the next-generation rocket, the H3. The rocket is designed to take advantage of reusable components to cut down on the cost of transportation to low Earth orbit.
JAXA and MHI are also looking into ways to make launches less noisy. A rocket taking off is noisy, creating vibrations that can affect the payload and cause damage to the rocket itself. The companies are exploring water suppression systems and sound-absorbing walls at the launch site to lower the noise. They also plan to conduct vibration testing and computational acoustics at their model launch facility.
