Tokyo, Japan

Japan's launch of an H-IIA rocket, carrying a moon lander into space, has been postponed due to unfavourable wind conditions in the upper atmosphere, according to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the operator of the rocket, media reports said. The announcement was made through MHI's launch services unit on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, just 24 minutes before the scheduled launch time. The mission was cancelled "because it was confirmed that the upper wind does not satisfy the constraints at launch," MHI's launch services unit said. 

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The launch was planned to take place at 9:26 am local time (0026 GMT) on Monday (August 28) from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan, operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

JAXA, during its live YouTube stream, indicated that further information would be provided by MHI. 

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Third failed attempt 

This is Japan's third failed moon mission. Japan's previous endeavours include an unsuccessful endeavour last year when they sought to achieve a lunar landing with the Omotenashi probe, transported by NASA's Artemis 1. Regrettably, this mission encountered setbacks leading to a loss of communication.

In the second failed attempt in April this year, a Japanese start-up ispace faced a setback in its ambitious aspiration to become the pioneering private enterprise to successfully land on the Moon. Unfortunately, communication was lost following what the company described as a "hard landing".

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'Moon Sniper' 

Dubbed the "Moon Sniper," JAXA's mission has earned this moniker due to its precise objective of achieving a lunar landing within a mere 100 meters (330 feet) of a designated target. This target range stands in stark contrast to the routine range of several kilometres.

Japan's space exploration journey has been marred by challenges in its rocket launches.

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The H3 model, touted as Japan's next-generation launch vehicle, experienced failures post liftoff in March. Moreover, the usually dependable solid-fuel Epsilon also encountered issues in October last year.

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JAXA had plans to kick off Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM's) moon landing sometime between January and February 2024, This comes in the backdrop of the success of India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar exploration mission.

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