The ALOS-2 satellite carries a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that maps Earth's landscape by recording microwave reflections.
A series of nine combustion tests convinced JAXA that the current LE-9 combustion chamber design could be used for H3’s first test flight carrying ALOS-3 by accepting some performance loss.
JAXA and MHI plan to use a 3D-printed combustion chamber for the H3 second test flight carrying ALOS-4.
ALOS-3 could launch as soon as 2021.
Japan’s ALOS-3 and ALOS-4 satellites will be capable of utilizing the full relay capabilities of JDRS-1.
Ko Ogasawara, MHI vice president and general manager for space systems, affirmed the end-of-2020 H3 schedule in March at the Satellite 2020 conference with the ALOS-3 Earth science satellite as the planned payload.