Japan launched an H-2A rocket this morning, carrying a spacecraft from the National Space Agency intended for a lunar landing, after weather conditions had delayed the launch three times in one week last month. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency stated that the rocket launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan as planned. The rocket is manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which also handled the launch.
The rocket carries a spacecraft from the Japanese exploration agency, named "Moon Sniper," due to its precise experimental landing technology. The spacecraft is scheduled to land on the moon's surface early next year. Japan had two previous unsuccessful attempts to land on the moon last year.
