After the problem, Japan successfully launched the H3 rocket into space

According to JAXA, the wordč is about a simpler configuration that is lighter and cheaper than other versions of the rocket. Among the six satellites were Umitsubame, a satellite of the Tokyo Institute of Science intended to observe the ocean with the help of a high-performance camera, and Shiraito, a satellite of Shizuoka University that will test space debris removal technology.

“Congratulations to our JAXA partners on a successful launch,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote on the X social network.

The successful launch is an important boost to Japan’s space program after several recent setbacks. The H3 rocket mission in December failed to put a satellite into orbit, while the rocket’s first flight in the spring of 2023 ended in failure after the second stage engine failed to ignite. The launch of the H3 rocket number 6 was further delayed after a technical problem was discovered during last year’s engine performance test, according to Kyodo.