Japanese Institution Report on Possible Causes of H3 Rocket Launch Failure

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced on the 25th that poor bonding of the base material for the rocket-mounted satellite may have caused the failure of the “H3 Rocket No. 8” launch in December last year. On the same day, JAXA reported the latest progress of the investigation into the cause of the “H3 Rocket No. 8” launch failure at an expert committee meeting of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The report stated that the satellite is connected to the second stage of the H3 rocket via a satellite connection structure, which acts as the base for the satellite mounted on the rocket. Through investigation of similar products, it was found that this type of base should have tightly bonded layers, but delamination occurred between the layers, resulting in multiple gaps. Investigators speculate that the “H3 Rocket No. 8” may have experienced the same delamination. The report indicated that the delaminated area could be the starting point of damage to the satellite support structure. The gaps widened during the rocket’s flight, ultimately leading to mission failure. On December 22 last year, the launch failed because the second stage engine of the rocket shut down prematurely, preventing the satellite from reaching its intended orbit. As Japan’s new generation main carrier rocket, this was the first failure of the H3 rocket since its initial launch in March 2023. (Xinhua)