Japan’s H3 Rocket Launches ALOS-4 Satellite

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the ALOS-4 Earth observation satellite aboard the H3 rocket on July 1. Screenshot via JAXA.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the ALOS-4 Earth observation satellite aboard the H3 rocket on Monday. JAXA confirmed post-launch that the mission was successful. 

The H3 mission took off from the Tanegashima Space Center at 12:06 p.m. JST on July 1. The satellite separated from the launch vehicle approximately 16 minutes and 34 seconds into the mission. 

This was the second successful mission for the H3 rocket. The rocket failed in its debut flight in March 2023 carrying the ALOS-3 satellite, and then successfully launched in February 2024. It is Japan’s new flagship rocket. 

The satellite, Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4, ALOS-4, also known as Daichi-4, was built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation for JAXA. The satellite is equipped with an L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor PALSAR-3, and a space-based Automatic Identification System Experiment (SPAISE3). 

It will replace the ALOS-2/Daichi-2 satellite, launched in 2024. ALOS-4 will increase the observation frequency of ground activity due to volcanic activity or an earthquake so that disaster prevention agencies can detect unusual activity or landslides in a more timely manner. The satellite will also be used to monitor deforestation and infrastructure.