5th H-3 Rocket with Michibiki No. 6 Satellite Successfully Launched
Tokyo, Feb. 2 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, on Sunday successfully launched the fifth H-3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 6 satellite for the Japanese version of the U.S. Global Positioning System.
The rocket blasted off at 5:30 p.m. from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The satellite was placed into its target orbit.
"Another successful launch further increased the reliability (of the H-3 rocket)," JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa told a press conference. "We made no major changes (to the fifth rocket from the previous ones), but we gained more data," he added.
The Michibiki satellite series is designed for the Japanese positioning system that provides location data in units of several centimeters. The first satellite in the series was launched in 2010. There are currently four Michibiki satellites in operation.
The Michibiki No. 6 is expected to reach a geostationary orbit at an altitude of about 36,000 kilometers in about half a month and begin service in about half a year.
The Japanese government plans to start operating the positioning system with seven Michibiki satellites during fiscal 2025, so it will no longer need supplemental GPS and other data. The government aims to use 11 satellites in the future.
The Michibiki No. 6 is about 19 meters long with its solar panels deployed and weighs about 1.9 tons. Development costs for the satellite and two others to be launched during the next fiscal year total about 100 billion yen.
The H-3 rocket series, developed by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., saw the launch of its first rocket fail in March 2023, but the second through fifth rockets have been successfully launched since February 2024. By accumulating successful launches, Mitsubishi Heavy hopes to receive more orders.
While improving the launch business to meet various needs, JAXA plans to transfer the business to Mitsubishi Heavy in the future.
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