"Strong winds force Japan to suspend moonshot rocket launch"

1 min read
Source: Reuters
"Strong winds force Japan to suspend moonshot rocket launch"
Photo: Reuters
TL;DR

Japan's space agency, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), has suspended the launch of a rocket carrying Japan's first spacecraft to land on the moon due to high-altitude winds. The H-IIA rocket, with a 98% success rate, was postponed less than 30 minutes before liftoff. The new launch date has not been decided but will be no earlier than August 31. The rocket is carrying JAXA's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) and an X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) satellite. Japan's space missions have faced recent setbacks, including the failure of the Epsilon small rocket and an engine explosion during a test.

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