Japan is smarting over the failure of the second $64 million H2A booster to deploy one of its payloads after a launch from Tanegashima on 4 February.
Contact was lost with the $4.5 million Demonstrator of Atmospheric Re-entry System with Hyper Velocity (DASH) re-entry technology craft at the time of planned deployment.
It is believed the satellite was placed in the wrong orbit, or failed to separate from the booster. The second payload, the larger $43 million Mission Demonstration Satellite (MDS) was put into orbit successfully.
The loss of the DASH, even if it is found not to be the fault of the booster, will be a blow to Japan's space programme. The H2A performed a successful maiden flight in August, but that followed two consecutive failures of its predecessor, the H2.
Source: Flight International
