Japan’s Newest Rocket Offers Hope to Battered Space Program

Mitsubishi Heavy’s H3 carried two satellites, test probe
Single-use launch vehicle to vie with reusable SpaceX Falcon 9

The H3 rocket lifts up at Tanegashima Space Center on Feb. 17.Photographer: Nicholas Takahashi/Bloomberg

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By Nicholas Takahashi

February 17, 2024 at 12:48 AM UTC

Updated on

February 17, 2024 at 4:18 AM UTC

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Japan launched its flagship rocket in what could be a turning point for a battered space program struggling to overcome recent setbacks and compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

The H3 rocket, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. for Japan’s national space agency, delivered a pair of satellites to orbit roughly 16 and 25 minutes after it took off Saturday morning local time from Tanegashima Space Center in southeastern Japan.