TOKYO (AP) — Japan's H3 rocket returned to flight Friday with the debut of a new low-cost variant, a badly needed success for the country's new flagship rocket that has struggled with mission failures while facing an increasingly competitive space industry.
The H3 rocket took off from the Tanegashima Space Center on a southwestern Japanese island Friday morning and its second stage successfully reached a targeted orbit, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said during its livestreaming.
Six small satellites developed by universities and other organizations carried by the vehicle also were believed to be successfully separated, JAXA said.
