Japan Successfully Launches New-generation Rocket Weeks After Failed Attempt

Japan successfully launched a brand new type of rocket on Saturday three weeks after a technical difficulty brought the spacecraft's launch to a screeching halt seconds before takeoff.

Known as Epsilon-1, the unmanned vehicle carried the world's first satellite designed to monitor the solar system's planets from orbit around the Earth. Among other things, scientists hope to use the satellite to better understand the evolution of the atmospheres surrounding neighboring planets.

The rocket itself is heralded by the Japanese space agency as a major step in cost-reducing rocket technology.

According to BBC News, Epsilon-1 is roughly half the size of Japan's previous generation of space vehicles and relies on automated systems to perform safety checks, rather than human operators.

The rocket is also seen as an improvement on past designs based on the speed with which it can be prepared for launch: it takes just seven days from erecting the first stage at the launch site to completing post-launch operations. In contrast, Japan's previous generation of launch vehicles required 42 days to complete this same process.

Even this is not quick enough for those managing Japan's space agency, however. According to Yasuhiro Morita, Epsilon Launch Vehicle's project manager, the agency hopes to cut this down to just three days, at which point, Morita says, "we can say that the Epsilon literally is a launch vehicle that can go to space and meet your needs whenever you need it."

According to Space.com, the failed Aug. 27 launch attempt was due to an issue in computer synchronization.

In light of the successful -- albeit delayed -- launch, Japanese space officials stated: "We would like to express our profound appreciation for the cooperation and support of all related personnel and organizations that helped contribute to the launch of the Epsilon-1."