GOSAT-GW Satellite

Japan on June 29, 2025 successfully launched GOSAT-GW climate change monitoring satellite on its mainstay H-2A rocket.

Key Highlights

• Date of Launch: June 29, 2025.
• Launch Vehicle: Japan’s H-2A rocket (final flight).
• Payload: GOSAT-GW (Global Observing Satellite for Greenhouse Gases and Water Cycle) satellite.

Purpose of GOSAT-GW:

• Climate change monitoring.
• Observing greenhouse gases (including CO2, methane, and nitrogen dioxide).
• Understanding water cycle mechanisms.
• Aiding in numerical weather prediction and typhoon analysis.

Launch Site: Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.

Orbit Insertion: Satellite released into planned orbit approximately 16 minutes after liftoff.

Delays: Launch was delayed for several days due to malfunctioning electrical systems.

H-2A Rocket Legacy:

• Marked the 50th and final flight for the H-2A.
• Served as Japan’s mainstay rocket since its 2001 debut.
• Achieved a near-perfect record with only one failure in 2003.

Replacement Rocket: The H-2A is being replaced by the H3 rocket, designed to be more cost-competitive in the global space market.