Japanese spaceport is pure Moonraker

Japan has built a sizeable new rocket called the H3 and launched it successfully at the second attempt. The first time, last March, it had to be destroyed 14 minutes into its flight when its second-stage booster failed to ignite. This time it released three small satellites (one of them a dummy). But it didn't have a human crew and can't return to earth to be reused, unlike a SpaceX Falcon 9. So why the fuss? Once its tests are complete an H3 launch will cost roughly half what a Falcon 9 launch costs even though SpaceX claims the Falcon's reusability lowers its cost-per-kilo to orbit by a factor of ten. In short, the H3 could be the cheapo single-use razor of the (booming) space launch business, and the Falcon's affordability may be slightly overhyped. Also, the Tanegashima space launch centre on the rocky southeastern tip of one of Japan's most southerly islands is pure Moonraker (zoom in).scoop on the €500 million and in doing so gave Apple's lawyers a useful heads-up. The fine's not actually going to be announced until next month.