Japan

Active spacefaring nation

H-IIA retired in June 2025 after forty-four launches in a row without a failure. Its replacement, H3, failed on its first flight in 2023 and again in December 2025.

We track every launch from Japan. Data updated 5 days ago.

Programme since 1963
1963 to 2028
  • Other (10 rockets)
  • , H2A 2001–2025
  • , Mu 1966–2006
  • , Lambda 1963–1979
1963 first launch 2017 peak (7 launches) Space One leading provider
launcheshome and abroad
171
upcomingnone with a date yet
11
success
87%

3 spaceports

Where Japan’s launches lift off.

KiiUchinouraTanegashima
19622029
Tanegashima
101 +9
Uchinoura
66 +2
Kii
3
19622029

Fleet overview

13 rockets in Japan's fleet

H3
State-operated
109
Epsilon
State-operated
62
Kairos
Space One
3-

Launch activity

Past launches and what's coming up

  1. Dec 22 202501:51 UTC
    Dec 22 2025
    01:51 UTC
    QZS-5 Broadcast available
    Failed
  2. Mar 05 202602:10 UTC
    Mar 05 2026
    02:10 UTC
    Space One Failed
  3. Jun 12 202600:53 UTC
    Jun 12 2026
    00:53 UTC
    VEP-5 Broadcast available
    Success
  4. Aug 10 202619:23 UTC
    Aug 10 2026
    19:23 UTC
    QZS-7 Broadcast available
    Success
  5. Oct 19 202619:41 UTC
    Oct 19 2026
    19:41 UTC
    Martian Moons eXploration Broadcast available
    Success
  6. Now Nov 09 · 2026
  7. Upcoming

  8. Q4 2026
    Q4 2026
  9. H1 2027
    H1 2027
  10. H1 2027
    H1 2027
  11. H1 2027
    H1 2027
  12. 2027
    2027

Launch providers

1 commercial provider and state-operated launches from Japan

Provider mix 171 past 5 in past year
  • State-operated launches 98%
  • Space One 2%

Every launch from Japan has been state-operated. The programme has flown 168 launches across 12 different rockets.

State-operated launches

in 2026
3
past launches
168
upcoming
11
2021: 3 launches2022: 1 launch2023: 3 launches2024: 5 launches2025: 4 launches2026: 3 launchesSteady peak 5 · 2024
Flies H2A (retired) +11 next in ~2mo

Space One

in 2026
1
past launches
3
2021: 0 launches2022: 0 launches2023: 0 launches2024: 2 launches2025: 0 launches2026: 1 launchSteady peak 2 · 2024
Operates Kairos flew ~8mo ago

Full launch history

Select a year to explore the archive

1960s 16 flights
2000s 23 flights
2020s 26 flights +11 upcoming

fewer launchesmore launches