The maiden launch of Japan’s new H-2A rocket was delayed for at least three hours Wednesday due to problems loading fuel, according to the National Space Development Agency (NASDA).
“The new launch schedule is 4:00 pm (0700 GMT),” said NASDA spokesman, Yoichi Fujita. The original launch time had been 1:00 pm (0400 GMT).
“The lines that inject fuel in the rocket did not connect properly. It took two and a half hours to make sure the lines were reconnected properly.”
NASDA had planned to start injecting the liquid fuel made of oxygen and hydrogen at 6:00 am but it was delayed to 8:25 am, Fujita said.
The agency had said the launch time could be put back to as late as 6:00 pm depending on weather conditions on the launch site on Tanegashima island, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) southwest of Tokyo.
The weather was fine so far and the launch was likely to go ahead by 6:00 pm even with the delayed fuel injection, Fujita said.
The launch of H-2A rocket is widely seen as a test of Japanese space technology with the future of its space industry at stake after a string of embarrassing rocket failures.
Lift-off was initially set for Saturday, but NASDA announced on Friday it was putting the launch back until Wednesday after the discovery of a malfunction in a pressure-control valve.
Moves to replace the valve were delayed by the passage of Typhoon Pabuk which disrupted air services in central and western Japan.
NASDA hopes the H-2A will serve as rival to Europe’s Ariane V as a commercial satellite launch vehicle.
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