Japan has launched its H2A rocket for the final time, marking a shift to its next-generation H3 programme.
Japan’s flagship H2A rocket was launched for the 50th and final time early on Sunday, closing over two decades of reliable service and signalling a transition to the country’s new H3 launch system.
The launch took place at around 1:33 a.m. local time from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture. It carried the "Ibuki-GW" satellite, developed by Japan's Ministry of the Environment, the National Institute for Environmental Studies, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The satellite will monitor greenhouse gases from space to support Japan’s environmental policies and international climate commitments.
Introduced in 2001, the H2A rocket has been central to Japan's space ambitions, deploying a range of satellites for communication, observation, and national security. Except for one failure in 2003, all other launches succeeded, showcasing the reliability and precision of Japan’s space engineering.
With H2A retired, Japan is turning its focus to the next-generation H3 rocket, designed to reduce launch costs and enhance competitiveness in the growing global space sector. The H3 will also support upcoming commercial satellite missions and Japan’s expanded goals for lunar exploration.
The shift to H3 is seen as a strategic move to maintain Japan’s presence in space technology while meeting demands for more affordable and frequent launches in a competitive market dominated by companies like SpaceX.
The Regional Environmental Summit 2026 will be held in Astana from 22-24 April, bringing together Central Asian countries to strengthen regional dialo...
Venezuela confirmed that 47 soldiers died during a U.S. military operation earlier this month that captured President Nicolás Maduro....
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine was allegedly removed from his home by soldiers and flown to an undisclosed location, his party said, as early res...
President Donald Trump said the U.S. is ready to restart mediation between Egypt and Ethiopia to help resolve their long-running dispute over Nile Riv...
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has signed a series of trade and cooperation agreements with China during his four-day visit to Beijing, the first...
Astronomers have observed a white dwarf - a highly compact Earth-sized stellar ember - that is creating a colourful shockwave as it moves through space, leaving them searching for an explanation.
A former Apple engineer has unveiled a new Chinese chip designed to compete directly with Apple’s Vision Pro headset.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has introduced its newest model, DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale, claiming it can perform some tasks as well as the latest models from Google DeepMind and OpenAI.
A new robotic system developed for the Czech Police is reshaping how complex investigations are carried out, bringing laboratory-level precision directly to crime scenes.
At least four people were injured after a large fire and explosions hit a residential building in the Dutch city of Utrecht, authorities said.
A crane collapse at a construction site near Bangkok has killed two people and injured five others on Thursday, Thai police said, a day after a separate crane accident derailed a train in northeastern Thailand, killing dozens.
Ukraine has declared a state of emergency in its energy sector after sustained Russian attacks severely damaged power and heating infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.
A railway power outage in Tokyo disrupted the morning commute for roughly 673,000 passengers on Friday (16 January) as two main lines with some of the world's busiest stations were halted after reports of a fire.
Iran reopened its airspace late on Wednesday after a near five-hour closure that disrupted airline traffic, amid heightened concerns over possible military escalation involving the United States.
Ashley St. Clair, mother of one of Elon Musk’s children, has filed a lawsuit against Musk’s company xAI, alleging that its AI tool Grok generated explicit images of her, including one portraying her as underage.
Britain’s Royal Navy has successfully conducted the maiden flight of its first full-sized autonomous helicopter, designed to track submarines and carry out high-risk maritime missions amid rising tensions in the North Atlantic.
Dubai is set to launch commercial air taxi services by the end of the year, according to the emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
Astronomers have observed a white dwarf - a highly compact Earth-sized stellar ember - that is creating a colourful shockwave as it moves through space, leaving them searching for an explanation.
Apple will use Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) models for its revamped Siri voice assistant later this year, in a multi-year deal that strengthens the tech giants’ partnership and boosts Alphabet’s position in the race against OpenAI.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment