Japan Suspends H-IIA Rocket Launch for Moonshot Because of Strong Winds

Japan Suspends H-IIA Rocket Launch for Moonshot Because of Strong Winds
H-IIA launch vehicle number 47 is seen on the launching pad at Tanegashima Space Center on the southwestern island of Tanegashima, Japan, on Aug. 28, 2023. Kyodo/via Reuters
Reuters
Updated:
0:00

TOKYO—Japan’s space agency suspended a planned launch on Monday of a rocket carrying what would be the country’s first spacecraft to land on the moon, with operator Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) citing high winds.

Although the H-IIA rocket, the Japanese flagship launch vehicle, has a 98 percent launch success rate, unsuitable wind conditions in the upper atmosphere forced a suspension 27 minutes before the planned liftoff.