JAXA: Reason for postponing the launch of the “H3” rocket
JAXA:
Large-scale core rocket “H3” scheduled to be launched in 2020
The launch of the first testing machine will be postponed to FY2021.
May combustion test:
After an engine combustion test conducted in May, an opening in the combustion chamber wall and a fatigue fracture surface of the turbine were discovered.
from now on,
Technical data acquisition test for the entire engine,
Performed a turbine blade vibration test
Demonstrate the development specifications in the operating range expected at the launch.
Cause of postponement:
The cause of the postponement of the launch is known.
In the engine combustion chamber / opening, 14 defective parts were found near the cooling groove through which hydrogen that cools the combustion chamber passes.
When the combustion chamber wall is tested under high temperature operating conditions, it is known that the combustion chamber wall becomes hotter than the design value.
New switch
JAXA | Change of Schedule for the H3 Launch Vehicle Project
September 11, 2020 (JST)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has been pressing forward with the development of the H3 Launch Vehicle.
In the process, a technical problem
was identified regarding the LE-9 first-stage engine, which is a new engine now under development.
In order to address the problem in an appropriate manner,
JAXA has decided to postpone the launch of the first test flight from the Japanese fiscal year (JFY) 2020 to JFY 2021 and that of the second test flight from JFY 2021 to JFY 2022.
JAXA will deal with the LE-9 engine-related problem in an appropriate manner and make an all-out effort for the successful launch of the H3 as a new Japan’s mainstay rocket.