Japan's H3 rocket launch aborted after booster fails to ignite

The launch of Japan's H3 next-generation rocket was aborted on February 17 after one or more of its booster engines failed to ignite.

At liftoff time, smoke was seen rising from the bottom of the rocket, indicating the ignition of the main engine, Nikkei Asia reports.

However, the rocket did not rise from the launchpad. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the country's space agency, confirmed the main engine had ignited and said it was investigating the reason the rocket did not lift off.

The setback follows the high-profile failure of the smaller Epsilon solid rocket on Oct. 12. The Epsilon malfunctioned shortly after liftoff and was ordered to self-destruct.

The H3 was supposed to launch from the Tanegashima Space Center operated by JAXA. The rocket was developed at a cost of 200 billion yen ($1.5 billion). It operates on a liquid-fuel main engine manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and two solid-fuel boosters manufactured by IHI Aerospace, which also produced the Epsilon rocket.

According to JAXA, the main engine ignited 6.3 seconds before liftoff, as scheduled. The boosters were supposed to ignite 0.4 second before the liftoff, but that did not happen. A JAXA spokesperson said it was not immediately clear whether one or both boosters failed.

Standing 63 meters tall and 5.2 meters in diameter, the H3 is the first major update to Japan's main launch vehicle in more than 20 years. The new rocket is intended to meet growing demand for satellite launches amid increased activity by commercial operators in outer space in recent years.

Friday's demonstration launch was supposed to put the Daichi 3 Earth observation satellite into a sun-synchronous orbit. The satellite also carries an infrared sensor that the Japanese Defense Ministry plans to use to provide early warning on potential missile attacks.

The H3's maiden launch had already been delayed two years due to the development of a new engine for the vehicle, the so-called expander bleed cycle engine, which proved to be a major engineering challenge for Mitsubishi Heavy.

The first two H3 launches, carrying Japanese government satellites, are intended to be demonstration launches, after which Mitsubishi Heavy hopes to win orders from satellite operators.

U.K. satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat is expected to be the H3's first commercial customer. It is not yet clear how today's setback will affect the commercialization road map.

Recent months have seen a series of launch failures in and outside Japan. On Jan. 9, Virgin Orbit's Launcher One midair launch vehicle experienced trouble during flight and was lost, dashing hopes for a first successful rocket launch from U.K. soil. On Dec. 20, Arianespace's Vega C medium-lift rocket failed in its second mission a few minutes after liftoff.

The failure of Japan’s three-stage Epsilon rocket in October was blamed on one of the attitude control thrusters failing to operate on the second stage, resulting in a loss of orientation.

A number of new rockets are set to make their debut this year.

In the U.S., the Vulcan Centaur, developed by United Launch Alliance, and New Glenn, by Blue Origin, are expected to make their initial flights soon. Europe’s Ariane 6, developed by ArianeGroup, may make its inaugural flight late this year. SpaceX's Starship, a fully reusable superheavy rocket, could also see a test-launch in the near future.