The H2A rocket, on its 50th and final launch, is seen at the Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima Prefecture on Sunday. Photo / the Japan News via the Washington Post
The H2A rocket, which was retired on Sunday after the model’s 50th launch, delivered many satellites vital for scientific research and Japan’s social infrastructure into space.
However, it failed to win enough orders for commercial launches, a problem that has been passed on to its successor, the H3.
“Over the past 24 years, [the H2A] has made a significant contribution to the autonomy of Japan’s space activities through a steady stream of launches,” said Hiroshi Yamakawa, president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), at a press conference at the Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima prefecture.
The H2A launched more than 70 satellites and other objects into space, serving as the backbone of Japan’s space transportation.
However, there was an average of only two launches a year, and most depended on “public demand” for government satellites.
There were only orders for commercial launches for five satellites belonging to foreign countries, such as South Korea and the United Kingdom.
The launch fee was expensive, reaching as high as ¥10 billion ($114 million). For Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which took over the manufacture and operation of the H2A from JAXA in 2007, winning commercial orders has been a long-standing issue.
The H3 was jointly developed by MHI and JAXA with the aim of halving the launch fee.
“We would like to receive as many orders for launches from overseas and domestic companies as government missions,” said Iwao Igarashi, senior general manager of the company’s Space Systems Division.
Demand for launches is rising as the space business expands.
According to the Cabinet Office, 253 rockets were successfully launched worldwide in 2024, 2.75 times more than 10 years ago.
Japan launched a total of five H2A and H3 rockets that year, compared to 153 in the United States and 66 in China.
In particular, the US company SpaceX, which has developed a rocket where the first stage can be reused, dominates the market with about 130 launches a year.
“If we cannot win the competition in the market, we will not be able to maintain the [domestic] industry, and there will be no companies or personnel to manufacture rockets,” said Hiroaki Akiyama, professor of space policy at Wakayama University.
“Our current technology will one day become obsolete, so it is essential to develop a rocket to succeed the H3.”