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Japan Scores Success with Inaugural H-2A Rocket Launch
By Reuters
posted: 03:45 am ET
29 August 2001
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TOKYO, Aug 29 (Reuters) -- Japan successfully launched its first next generation H-2A rocket on Wednesday by throwing a test satellite into orbit, the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) said. The launch of the next generation H-2A rocket, already delayed for six months, was shifted back to 3 a.m. EDT (0700 GMT) from the original lift-off time of midnight EDT (0400 GMT) because of technical problems. "We had trouble confirming a few pipes when we were fueling the rocket and that was what caused the delay," a NASDA spokesman said. Launch of the 53-meter (174-foot) rocket is seen as crucial to the future of the country's space programme which critics have slammed for its high price tag. With the economy on the brink of recession, the government is determined to reduce spending by government agencies, including NASDA. Japan's $2 billion budget on space development is smaller than that of the joint European Space Agency -- which excludes each country's own space budget -- and the United States but that has not spared it from criticism after numerous failures. A mishap in 1999 resulted in the loss of a 10-billion-yen ($83.30 million) prototype, while another unsuccessful launch the year before cost 60 billion yen. The H-2A rocket launch had been postponed twice, once in February due to engine trouble and last week after problems developed with one of the valves of the engine. The H-2A rockets are intended for commercial use in the global market, which is dominated by European Ariane rockets, followed by U.S., Chinese and Russian space launches. With costs being brought down to 8.5 billion yen ($70.81 million), about half that of previous H-2 rockets, NASDA said the new rocket would be much more competitive than its predecessors.
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