TOKYO -- On a tiny island 1,000 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, Japan's space industry is preparing to face a moment of truth: the maiden launch of a next-generation rocket.
Standing 63 meters tall and 5.2 meters in diameter, the H3 was developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), a government affiliate, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as the prime contractor. It is scheduled to lift off from the Tanegashima Space Center on Wednesday.
