Japan Destroys Rocket after Launch Failure

Japan Destroys Rocket after Launch Failure

Japan's space agency had to destroy a rocket after a launch Tuesday because its second stage engine failed to start.

The 60-meter-tall rocket is called the H3. It is Japan's first new rocket in more than 20 years.

The misfire was the second rocket problem for the agency in the last three weeks.

The H3 rocket blasted off from a launch area at the Tanegashima Space Center on an island in southern Japan. However, a problem happened in the rocket's second stage. The Japan Aerospace¹ Exploration Agency explained that the ignition for the second stage failed, and the rocket would not have made it into orbit.

The agency, known as JAXA, said it destroyed the rocket 14 minutes into its flight because it could not continue.

Yasuhiro Funo is the JAXA launch director. He said the rocket was unsafe at that point and had to be destroyed. It fell into the sea off the eastern coast of the Philippines.

The rocket carried an Earth observation satellite called ALOS-3. It included a special infrared² sensor³ that could follow military activity such as missile launches.

JAXA also had a problem six months ago with a different kind of rocket.

The H3 rocket launch had a two-year delay because of an engine problem. JAXA leaders said more study is needed to prevent future problems.

Hiroshi Yamakawa is JAXA's President. He said his agency needs to "figure out what we should do to successfully achieve the next launch."

JAXA spent over $1 billion on the H3, the agency's first new rocket in 22 years. It follows the H-2A, which will no longer be used after its upcoming 50th launch. The H3 rocket is smaller but can carry larger loads and is less costly⁴ per launch.

Hirotaka Watanabe is a professor at Osaka University. He studies space policy. He spoke⁵ with Reuters about the future.

"This will have a serious impact on Japan's future space policy, space business and technological⁶ competitiveness," he said.

Words in This Story

stage –n. a section of a rocket that has its own fuel and engine

ignition –n. the electrical system that causes a fuel to burn

sensor –n. a device that identifies the presences of force or electromagnetic radiation and reacts to it in a defined way

achieve –v. to do something, to make something happen

figure out –v. to find something out by thinking

1 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

2 infrared   

adj./n.红外线(的)

参考例句：

• Infrared is widely used in industry and medical science.红外线广泛应用于工业和医学科学。
• Infrared radiation has wavelengths longer than those of visible light.红外辐射的波长比可见光的波长长。

3 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。