Japan Launches Large-Scale H3 No. 7 Rocket Carrying New Cargo Spacecraft

Japan's large-scale H3 No. 7 rocket was successfully launched on October 26. The rocket carried Japan's new cargo supply spacecraft, the HTV-X No. 1.

According to Kyodo News and NHK, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the H3 No. 7 rocket carrying the HTV-X No. 1 from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Kyushu, at 9 a.m. on this day.

The HTV-X No. 1 will separate from the rocket and is expected to travel toward the International Space Station (ISS) for about three days.

The HTV-X is an unmanned spacecraft newly developed by JAXA for the purpose of transporting supplies to the ISS and other destinations, with an investment of 35.6 billion yen (approximately 335.2 billion won). This was its first deployment. It measures 8 meters in length, 4.4 meters in diameter, and can carry about 5.8 tons of cargo.

This time, in addition to supplies for astronauts staying on the ISS, the cargo included a carbon dioxide removal system that eliminates CO2 using an absorbent, as well as brewing equipment and raw materials to make sake (traditional rice wine) under lunar surface-level gravity.

The H3, developed by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has been launched five times so far. Only the first launch two years ago failed, while launches No. 2 through No. 5 were successfully completed consecutively.

The No. 6 rocket, scheduled for launch this year, was determined to require a retest after a combustion test in July, and the launch date has not yet been decided.