Japan successfully launches H3 rocket carrying next-generation cargo craft to ISS
Tokyo: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has successfully launched its H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan, on Sunday. The mission transported the newly developed unmanned cargo spacecraft, HTV-X1, on its first trip to deliver supplies to the International Space Station and is expected to arrive at the ISS in a few days.
According to an Associated Press report, the spacecraft was placed in its assigned orbit after 14 minutes of its launch and the HTV-X1 was later separated as planned. Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, who is currently aboard the International Space Station, will use a robotic arm to grasp the spacecraft early Thursday.
The HTV-X1 is the successor to JAXA's previous unmanned supply vehicle, Kounotori, the H-II Transfer Vehicle. It completed nine successful missions between 2009 and 2020. This new vehicle can carry a larger payload and still generating electricity during transit. It will also allow it to transport temperature-sensitive laboratory materials.
It is designed to remain docked at the ISS for up to six months. The HTV-X1 will deliver cargo, collect waste, and later conduct independent orbital missions for an additional three months after departing the station.
Iwao Igarashi who heads the Space Business Department at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries—which co-developed and operates the H3 with JAXA—said that the successful launch demonstrated Japan’s reliability and precision in space missions. He further added that Mitsubishi plans to expand its launch operations to meet growing global demand, as reported by Associated Press.
The H3 replaces Japan’s long-serving H-2A rocket, which completed its final flight in June. The latest launch was the seventh overall and the sixth consecutive success since a failed debut in 2023, when the rocket was destroyed mid-flight after a malfunction.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
