Technology

Japan H-2A Rocket Launch Postponed Again

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The H2A Launch Vehicle No. 47 is seen at the launch pad in Minamitane, Kagoshima Prefecture, on August 27, 2023.

Jiji Press

16:41 JST, September 16, 2024

Tokyo (Jiji Press)—Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said Monday that the launch of the 49th unit of the H-2A rocket from a Japanese space center, scheduled for the afternoon on the day, has been postponed due to unsuitable weather conditions.

The new launch date is expected to be set on Thursday or later.

The winds that were forecast to blow over the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, around the scheduled launch time Monday did not meet the criteria for liftoff, according to Mitsubishi Heavy, which is in charge of launching the rocket.

The launch of the rocket carrying the Japanese government’s eighth intelligence-gathering radar satellite was originally scheduled for Wednesday. It was postponed to Monday because of expected worsening weather conditions.