Japan's H-2A Rocket LaunchedJapan's H-2A rocket lifted off Wednesday afternoon, after a series of problems caused the postponement of the launch originally scheduled for February, Kyodo News reported.The 53-meter-long rocket, developed by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), blasted off from Tanegashima Space Center on the island of Tanegashima in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, at 4 p.m.(local time), the report said. The successful H-2A launch is regarded as crucial for Japan's future space industry following the failure of two H-2 rocket launches in February 1998 and November 1999. The H-2A rocket is an improved version of the trouble-prone H-2. |
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