Japan’s space agency has halted the scheduled launch of an H-IIA rocket intended to transport a moon lander into space. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the launch operator, reported that the launch was called off due to unsuitable wind conditions in the upper atmosphere. The decision was communicated through MHI’s launch services division on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), just 24 minutes prior to the intended launch time. The rocket, designated H-IIA No. 47, was set to take off from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)’s Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan at 9:26 a.m. local time (0026 GMT) on Monday. Additional information will be provided by MHI, as announced during JAXA’s livestream on YouTube. The rocket was carrying JAXA’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), a lunar landing spacecraft, along with an X-ray imaging satellite.
(Source: Kantaro Komiya | Rocky Swift | Reuters)
