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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Ex-minister Ramanath Rai hits out at BJP leader Ashoka for ‘irresponsible’ comments on KC Venugopal
Mangaluru: Congress leader and former minister B Ramanath Rai slammed BJP leader R Ashoka for calling AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal an agent of the party high command, and asked if the general secretary and other office-bearers in the BJP were commission agents too.
Rai, who addressed a press meet at the Congress office in the city on Friday, expressed fury over the recent comments of the BJP leader that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was presenting himself in a shameless manner in public life. Ashoka, who is also Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, had said that the Congress government had ‘broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies’.
“Ashoka has spoken with sheer ignorance and displays his lack of maturity, as he often does while facing the media. KC Venugopal has been working at organization of the party and it is unbecoming of Ashoka to criticize Venugopal as he did,” Rai told reporters.
“Being in a responsible position, how acceptable is it for Ashoka to pass disrespectful, random comments about another leader who also holds a responsible position? If KC Venugopal is indeed an agent of the party high command, what should we consider BJP leaders to be? Are they brokers?” he asked
Commenting on Ashoka’s allegations of corruption in the Congress government in Karnataka, Rai pointed out, “The KSRTC land was sold to private parties when he (Ashoka) was transport minister. We can find several such cases across the state, which need to be probed.”
The former minister, however, refused to comment on the incident that occurred at Mangaluru airport during CM Siddaramaiah’s visit to the city recently.
Former mayors Ashraf and Shashidhar Hegde, Congress activists Vishwas Kumar Das, Subhodaya Alva, Shabeer, Baby Kundar, Padmanabha, Nazeer Bajal and Prem were present.
