AP, TOKYO
Japan’s experimental reusable rocket yesterday took off and safely landed in a first test flight as the country seeks to achieve the technology key to cut launch costs and compete in the global space market dominated by SpaceX.The RV-X rocket’s less than one-minute flight at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Noshiro Testing Center in northeastern Japan was livestreamed by the NVS, a group of space fans.The rocket flew as planned, rising 11m and moving horizontally 16m while keeping its upright position before landing, JAXA reusable rocket project manager Takashi Ito said.
The Reusable Vehicle eXperiment, known as RV-X, undergoes a test launch at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Noshiro Rocket Testing Center yesterday.
Japan seeks to catch up with SpaceX’s technology to cut launch costs of delivering payloads into space.The flight yesterday was a step forward for Japan in achieving the technology needed to develop a lower cost successor to the country’s current mainstay, single-use H3 series.
The flight comes one day after state media in China reported the country achieved its first successful recovery of the first stage of a rocket after a liftoff.Japan’s H3 rocket is designed to be more cost effective than its predecessor H-2A series, which had a near-perfect success record, but still needs further cost cuts to compete in the global space market.The Japanese government said a stable, commercially competitive transport capability is key to the country’s space program and national security.JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have been codeveloping the RV-X, which is 1.8m in diameter and 7.3m long, and equipped with an engine with enhanced durability and four shock-absorption landing gear.The “hardworking” engine has so far withstood 165 combustion tests, Ito said.JAXA plans to send the RV-X rocket to a higher altitude of about 100m in future test flights.
