AdvertisementAdvertisementEast AsiaThe H3 rocket No 6 is launched at Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, on Jun 12, 2026. (Photo: Jiji Press via AFP)12 Jun 2026 05:14PM (Updated: 12 Jun 2026 05:27PM) Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInAdd CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST TOKYO: Japan's space agency successfully launched its flagship H3 rocket on Friday (Jun 12), months after a previous mission to put a geolocation satellite into orbit ended in failure.The H3 was developed to boost the international competitiveness of the country's rocket industry, with the lift-off an important sign of progress as the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) aims to improve its launch success rate.The agency is targeting up to eight H3 launches a year - still far below privately owned SpaceX, which dominates the global satellite launch market with 165 Falcon 9 orbital flights in 2025, compared to just two for H3.JAXA said the rocket carrying six small satellites blasted off at 9.53 am (8.53am, Singapore time) from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan.Show MoreShow Less"The rocket flew according to plan and successfully placed the second stage into its intended orbit," JAXA president Hiroshi Yamakawa told reporters, adding that it released the six satellites.Musk's SpaceX prices record US$75 billion IPO at US$135 a shareElon Musk's SpaceX IPO: Is it worth the hype?JAXA's live YouTube broadcast showed scientists clapping and hugging each other in celebration.One of the satellites is testing technology to capture space debris."We took last year's failure of the H3 rocket launch very seriously," Yamakawa said."We have devoted our full efforts to thoroughly investigating the cause and devising countermeasures."Designed for "high flexibility, high reliability, and high cost performance", JAXA had toasted five previous successful launches of the H3, but there have also been two failures, including the latest one in December.Japan hopes to capitalise on the H3's success to meet soaring global demand for satellite launches in the face of a rocket shortage.Private companies are also racing to offer cheaper and more frequent space exploration opportunities than governments.People watch Japan's H3 rocket No 6 carrying satellites, as it lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center on the southwestern island of Tanegashima, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Jun 12, 2026. (Photo: Kyodo via Reuters)Space One, founded in 2018 by major businesses such as Canon Electronics and IHI Aerospace, made its third attempt to become the first private Japanese firm to put a satellite in space in March, but the mission failed.Amid the intensifying space race, JAXA landed in 2024 an unmanned probe on the Moon - albeit at a crooked angle - making it just the fifth country to achieve what is known as a "soft landing".But Tokyo-based firm ispace last year failed in its attempt to become the third private firm - and the first outside the United States - to achieve a controlled arrival on the Moon.Source: AFP/rlNewsletterWeek in ReviewSubscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in ReviewOur chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.NewsletterMorning BriefSubscribe to CNA’s Morning BriefAn automated curation of our top stories to start your day.Sign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST