The H3 Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system in development in Japan. H3 rockets are liquid-propellant rockets with strap-on solid rocket boosters and are planned to be launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Mitsubishi and the JAXA have been responsible for the design, manufacture, and operation of the H3.

H3 は日本で開発中の使い捨て打ち上げシステム。固体ロケットブースターを付けた液体推進剤ロケットで、日本の種子島宇宙センターから打ち上げる計画。設計・製造・運用は三菱重工業と JAXA が担う。

The H3 Launch Vehicle is a Japanese expendable launch system.
Each H3 booster configuration has a two-digit and a letter designation that indicates the features of that configuration. The first digit represents the number of LE-9 engines on the main stage, either "2" or "3". The second digit indicates the number of SRB-3 solid rocket boosters attached to the base of the rocket, and can be "0", "2" or "4". All layouts of solid boosters are symmetrical. The letter in the end shows the length of the payload fairing, either short "S" or long "L". For example, an H3-24L has two engines, four solid rocket boosters, and a long fairing, whereas an H3-30S has three engines, no solid rocket boosters, and a short fairing.

H3 ロケットは日本の使い捨て打ち上げシステム。各構成は 2 桁の数字と 1 文字で特徴を表す。1 桁目は第 1 段の LE-9 エンジン数 (2 または 3)、2 桁目は機体下部に付ける固体ロケットブースター SRB-3 の本数 (0、2、4) で、固体ブースターの配置はすべて対称。末尾の文字はフェアリング長 (S = ショート、L = ロング)。例えば H3-24L はエンジン 2 基・固体ブースター 4 本・ロングフェアリング、H3-30S はエンジン 3 基・固体ブースターなし・ショートフェアリングとなる。

H3-22

The H3 Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system in development in Japan.
Each H3 booster configuration has a two-digit and a letter designation that indicates the features of that configuration. The first digit represents the number of LE-9 engines on the main stage, either "2" or "3". The second digit indicates the number of SRB-3 solid rocket boosters attached to the base of the rocket, and can be "0", "2" or "4". All layouts of solid boosters are symmetrical. The letter in the end shows the length of the payload fairing, either short "S" or long "L". For example, an H3-24L has two engines, four solid rocket boosters, and a long fairing, whereas an H3-30S has three engines, no solid rocket boosters, and a short fairing.

H3 ロケットは日本で開発中の使い捨て打ち上げシステム。各構成は 2 桁の数字と 1 文字で特徴を表す。1 桁目は第 1 段の LE-9 エンジン数 (2 または 3)、2 桁目は機体下部に付ける固体ロケットブースター SRB-3 の本数 (0、2、4) で、固体ブースターの配置はすべて対称。末尾の文字はフェアリング長 (S = ショート、L = ロング)。例えば H3-24L はエンジン 2 基・固体ブースター 4 本・ロングフェアリング、H3-30S はエンジン 3 基・固体ブースターなし・ショートフェアリングとなる。

H3-24

H3-30

Launch success.

Spacecraft separation.

Refined launch window.

Delayed to NET August 10 UTC due to launch site weather.

Rescheduled for NET August 9 UTC.

Delayed due to launch site weather (effects of Typhoon Dolphin).

NET August 6 UTC.

Delayed to TBD due to previous H3 launch failure.

GO for launch.

NET 2025.

H3 launches navigation satellite

Space Force delivers second U.S. payload to be hosted on Japanese satellite

YouTube

YouTube (Short)

2026.8.11　3:30～ H３ロケット9号機 「みちびき7号機」打上げ　H3 Rocket F9 QZS-7 Launch

QZSS (Quasi Zenith Satellite System) is a Japanese satellite navigation system operating from inclined, elliptical geosynchronous orbits to achieve optimal high-elevation visibility in urban canyons and mountainous areas. The navigation system objective is to broadcast GPS-interoperable and augmentation signals as well as original Japanese (QZSS) signals from a three-spacecraft constellation.

The navigation system objective is to broadcast GPS-interoperable and augmentation signals as well as original Japanese (QZSS) signals from a three-spacecraft constellation in inclined, elliptical geosynchronous orbits.

QZS-5 to 7 Patch

みちびき7号(QZS-7)

H3-22 | みちびき7号(QZS-7)

Liftoff.

Confirmed rescheduled for June 12.

Launch delayed due to launch site weather.

NET Q2 2026/JFY 2026.

Delayed till after HTV-X 1 launch.

NET Q3, after H-IIA F50.

NET 1H 2025.

Added launch.

H3 successfully returns to flight

Japan’s H3 to return to flight with debut launch of lightest configuration

Launch live streaming of H3 Launch Vehicle flight No.6, 30 configuration Test Vehicle（English）

2026.6.12　8:30～ H３ロケット6号機 「VEP-5」打上げH3 Rocket F6 Launch

30形態試験機

H3-30 | 30形態試験機

Launch failure.

Official Webcast by JAXA | 宇宙航空研究開発機構 has started

Rescheduled for December 22.

Scrubbed for the day.

Tweaked T-0.

Tweaked launch window.

Rescheduled for December 17.

Launch delayed due to problems with the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) on the H3 2nd stage, new launch date TBD.

Tweaked approximate launch date per launch manifest (P.129 of source).

H3 rocket suffers upper stage anomaly, fails to correctly deploy navigation satellite

Japan’s H3 suffers second-stage anomaly, QZS-5 satellite lost

みちびき5号(QZS-5)

H3-22 | みちびき5号(QZS-5)

H3 launches first HTV-X cargo spacecraft

JAXA’s HTV-X1 set to launch to ISS aboard H3 Rocket

Japan prepares new ISS cargo vehicle as trio of cargo spacecraft deliver new experiments and hardware

ISS Operations Continue with New Cargo and Crews

Launch of New unmanned cargo transfer spacecraft1（HTV-X1） aboard the 7th H3 Launch Vehicle (H3 F7)

JAXA HTV-X1 Cargo Launch

H３ロケット7号機 「HTV-X1」打上げ / H3 Rocket F7 Launch

HTV-X1

H3-24 | HTV-X1

Delayed to February 2 due to launch site weather.

Launch planned NLT Q1 2025.

Rocket Report: A blue mood at Blue; Stoke Space fires a short over the bow

Japan launches Michibiki 6 navigation satellite with fifth H3 rocket

みちびき6号(QZS-6)

H3-22S | みちびき6号(QZS-6)

Kirameki 3

H3-22S | Kirameki 3

Launch success with satellite solar panels deployed and in proper attitude control.

Delayed to July 1st due to launch site weather.

NET June 2024; launch vehicle variant TBD.

Japan's H3 Rocket Successfully Launches ALOS-4

H3 Launches ALOS-4 Earth Observation Satellite

H3 launches ALOS-4 advanced Earth observation satellite

先進レーダ衛星「だいち4号」（ALOS-4）／H3ロケット3号機打上げライブ中継

Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 (ALOS-4)

H3-22S | Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 (ALOS-4)

VEP 4, CE-SAT-1E & TIRSAT

H3-22S | VEP 4, CE-SAT-1E & TIRSAT

JAXA | Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 “DAICHI-3” (ALOS-3)

Apparent failure at 2nd stage ignition;FTS initiated.

Webcast live

24 hours slip due to weather.

March 6 new launch date confirmed by JAXA.

NET March 6 per local news reports and air-space closure notices.

NET early March

Launch aborted post main engine ignition due to 1st stage problem; roll back to VAB required.

hold at engine ignition

Webcast started

2 days slip due to weather.

February 15 launch date confirmed.

Delayed to NET February 15. Launch window TBC.

1 day slip due to one day slip of the previous H-IIA launch that flew today

Launch window confirmed.

NET February 12, 2023

Japan delays H2A launch in the wake of H3 failure

H3 failure could delay Japanese science missions

After nearly a decade in development, Japan’s new rocket fails in debut

Japan’s H3 rocket launch fails after second stage malfunction

Japan’s flagship H3 rocket fails on first test flight

Japan's H3 Rocket Fails During Inaugural Launch

Japan’s maiden launch of H3 rocket fails during second stage flight

Japan’s new H3 rocket ready for another launch attempt after last-second abort

Japan aborts H3 launch moments before liftoff

First launch of Japan’s H3 rocket aborted moments before liftoff

Launch of the First H3 Launch Vehicle with Advanced Land Observing Satellite-3 “DAICHI-3” onboard

H3ロケット試験機1号機／先進光学衛星「だいち3号」（ALOS-3）打上げライブ中継

ALOS-3 (Maiden flight)

H3-22S | ALOS-3 (Maiden flight)

NET October 20.

NET October.

Delayed to 2026 launch window due to H3 launch vehicle unavailability.

Europe’s Martian Moon Rover Arrives in Japan

IDEFIX Phobos rover sent to Japan ahead of mission to Mars

European Martian Moon Rover on Its Way to Japan

Japanese Mars mission launch delayed to 2026

MMX is a Japanese scientific mission to land on Phobos, one of the two moons of Mars, to collect samples before bringing them back to Earth.

The mission includes a small French/German rover to explore the surface of Phobos.

Martian Moon eXplorer (MMX)

H3-24 | Martian Moon eXplorer (MMX)

NET July.

NET 2026.

NET late 2025.

HTV-X2

H3-24 | HTV-X2

Updated launcher variant.

Confirmation of DESTINY+ and RAMSES to be flown on the same launch vehicle.

Launch vehicle switched to H3, launch delayed to FY2028 due to delays with RTF of Epsilon rocket.

Delayed to NET FY2025.

ESA and JAXA team up on planetary defence, Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis

ESA signs Ramses spacecraft and cubesat deals for Apophis flyby

ESA Awards OHB a €81.2 Million Contract for Ramses Asteroid Probe

ESA awards contracts for Ramses mission to Apophis

Ramses: ESA’s mission to rendezvous with asteroid Apophis

DESTINY+ & RAMSES

H3-24 | DESTINY+ & RAMSES

H3 to launch next ispace lunar lander mission

ispace Mission 3 will be the first mission to feature ispace’s new ULTRA lunar lander, a larger and more capable lander design than the HAKUTO-R that attempted to land on the Moon twice before. 

The lander will carry payloads for Science Tokyo, TASA, ispace, UEL, JALUX and Magna Petra Corp.

ispace Mission 3 ULTRA

H3-22 | ispace Mission 3 ULTRA

製造元	三菱重工
国	Japan
初飛行	2023年3月7日
機体数	4 機種

H3

通算成績

概要

系列内の機体

関連リンク

打ち上げ予定・履歴

打ち上げ予定

打ち上げ履歴