As space race heats up, Japan needs to find its booster

China and India are keen to put people into space, while Tokyo checks its wallet

An Epsilon-3 rocket lifts off from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kimotsuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Jan. 18.

KAZUKI YOSHIKAWA, Nikkei senior staff writer and RIMI INOMATA, Nikkei staff writer

January 30, 2018 12:30 JST

TOKYO -- On Jan. 18, Japan's space agency successfully launched its Epsilon-3 rocket, a small, solid-fuel rocket designed to carry satellites into orbit. While the launch came off without a hitch, it left many questions unanswered about the Epsilon program, and about Japan's space program in general.