TWIRL 104: Relativity Space preparing for Terran 1's first test flight, JAXA to launch H3

We have an exciting week ahead as we’ll see the first flight of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H3 rocket and Relativity Space’s Terran 1 rocket launch in its first test flight. We should also see SpaceX launch several satellites for its rival OneWeb.

Tuesday, March 7

• The first launch we have is a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H3 rocket launching on its first flight. It will be carrying the Daichi 3 Earth observation to orbit where it will take high-resolution, wide-swatch pictures. By capturing images of the planet’s surface, the data can be used for disaster management, land use, urban sprawl, scientific research, and coastal and vegetation environmental monitoring. The launch will occur from the Tanegashima Space Center between 1:37 a.m. and 1:44 a.m. UTC.

Wednesday, March 8

• The second launch of the week will be Relativity Space’s Terran 1 rocket which will have its first test flight which the company has named #GoodLuckHaveFun (#GLHF). This flight has been delayed continually since late 2020, hopefully, the company will get a successful launch this time. Interestingly, the Terran 1 is made with several 3D-printed parts and will be carrying a 3D-printed mass simulator during the test flight. The flight is due between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. UTC from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and can be viewed on YouTube.

Thursday, March 9

• The third and final flight will be a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX launching 40 OneWeb satellites into orbit. This is a mission that was meant to launch this week but suffered a delay. OneWeb’s satellites do the same thing as SpaceX’s Starlink satellites; beam internet back down to the planet. OneWeb was originally sending its satellites into orbit with the help of Russia but since the war in Ukraine, OneWeb has looked for alternative routes to space.

Recap

• The first launch we saw this week was a Falcon 9 carrying 21 Starlink satellites to space where they’ll beam internet back to Earth.

• The second launch was also a Falcon 9 but this time it was launching the Endeavour Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA, Roscosmos, and UAE astronauts to the International Space Station.

• Below, you can see the astronauts entering the ISS.

• The final launch was another Falcon 9 this time carrying 51 Starlink satellites to orbit.

That’s all we have for this week, check in next time!