According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan launched a small, low-cost Epsilon rocket carrying nine satellites on Tuesday, the latest attempt to encourage educational institutions and businesses to participate in space development. According to the JAXA, the Epsilon-5 rocket took off from the Uchinoura Space Center in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima. The rocket, which measured 2.6 meters in diameter and 26 meters in length and weighed 96 tons, carried nine satellites, the most for an Epsilon mission. The launch was originally scheduled for October, but it was postponed three times due to technical and other issues.
Solid fuel is used on the Epsilon series, which allows rockets to load faster than liquid propellant. According to the JAXA, its artificial intelligence technology is intended to reduce labor and launch costs. The Epsilon-5’s development costs totaled 5.8 billion yen (51 million U.S. dollars).