The legacy of H-2A rockets by Japanese spaceships has successfully launched Earth satellites to open the development of H3 spaceships.

H-2A the final flight of the Japan H-2A rocket was launched on June 28 and deployed the GOSAT-GW Earth observation satellite at the Tanegashima Space Center. The launch was the 50th and final mission of the H-2A operated by JAXA and is a major vehicle in the civil, military, and commercial space activities of Japan since the year 2001.

The 2,600-kilogram satellite GOSAT-GW is constructed by Mitsubishi Electric to spray worldwide greenhouse gases and water cycles with high-tech sensors. The satellite will be giving seven-year services in a sun-synchronous orbit.

The H-2A has long formed the backbone of Japanese space aspirations, whether for climate research or military reconnaissance. Although it had an almost perfect launch record, its expense and rarity of launch made it phased out over time by the more cost-effective H3 rocket.

The launch was also the last alongside 3 other space missions in a window of 13 hours, including two SpaceX Falcon 9s and a Rocket Lab Electron. Since retiring the H-2A, the nation of Japan is now relying on the H3 rocket to keep up with its pace as far as space exploration is concerned.