Japan's space agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has announced that its new flagship H3 rocket will undergo a second test flight on Saturday. Initially scheduled for Thursday, the liftoff was postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions forecasted at the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.
The H3 rocket has been in development for over a decade and is intended to take over from the current mainstay, the H-2A rocket, which is planned for retirement after just two more flights. This upcoming launch is crucial for Japan's space development, especially after the H3's debut flight ended in failure last March. During its maiden launch, the rocket had to be destroyed along with its payload, the advanced land observation satellite (ALOS-3). In this second test flight, a mockup of the ALOS satellite, known as VEP-4, will be onboard the H3.
