H3 • ALOS 3

A Japanese H3 rocket failed during launch on its first test flight with the Advanced Land Observing Satellite 3, or ALOS 3, Earth observation satellite for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The second stage engine on the H3 rocket did not ignite. ALOS 3, also named Daichi 3, was designed to capture high-resolution, wide-swath images of all of the world’s land surfaces, providing data for applications in disaster management, land use, urban sprawl, scientific research, and coastal and vegetation environmental monitoring. The H3 rocket for Test Flight 1, or TF1, flew in the H3-22S configuration with two first stage engines, two strap-on solid rocket boosters, and a short payload fairing. Delayed from Feb. 11. Countdown Feb. 16 aborted after main engine start. Delayed from March 6 by bad weather forecast. Read our full story.