The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched a defense communication satellite aboard H3 rocket No. 4 on Monday — its fifth try — after four earlier launch dates were postponed due to poor weather and mechanical issues.
Cloudy weather and some wind at the Tanegashima Space Center launch site in Kagoshima Prefecture did not halt the launch this time, with the Defense Ministry’s Kirameki 3 X-band communication satellite sent into orbit aboard JAXA's flagship H3 rocket.
JAXA's H3 project manager, Makoto Arita, said in a news conference after the launch that he believes the agency has now achieved a stable operational phase for the rocket, marking a significant milestone.
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