Sigh of Relief After Rocket Launch Success

Japanese mission controllers broke into applause after the launch of a domestically developed rocket carrying national hopes for a commercial space industry.

The 174-foot, orange-and-black H2-A rocket roared off a launch pad from the small southern island of Tanegashima, carrying a monitoring device to its destination in orbit.

The mood was more of relief than jubilation after years of dramatic failures and exasperating delays.

“What’s most significant about the successful launch is that it goes a long way toward regaining the confidence of people in this country, which had been all but lost,” said Shuichiro Yamanouchi, director of the National Space Development Agency.