H-IIA launch vehicle number 47 is seen on the launching pad at Tanegashima Space Center on the southwestern island of Tanegashima, Japan in this photo taken by Kyodo on August 28, 2023.
Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Japan launched the H-IIA rocket carrying the national space agency's moon lander on Thursday morning, after unfavourable weather led to three postponements in a week last month.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the rocket took off from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan as planned.
The rocket is carrying JAXA's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft, dubbed the "moon sniper" for its experimental precision landing technology.
SLIM's lunar landing is scheduled for early next year.
Persons:
JAXA's Smart Lander, Kantaro Komiya, Tom Hogue, Gerry Doyle
Organizations:
Kyodo, Rights, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Tanegashima Space, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NASA, Thomson
Locations:
Tanegashima, Japan, India