H3 Launch Failure Leaves Japan Without Core Rockets, Deals Blow to Global Competitiveness in Space Development

By Chika Ishikawa and Hiroyuki Oyama / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers
17:39 JST,
December 23, 2025
Japan will not be able to launch satellites and probes for the time being, after the failed launch on Monday of the eighth H3 rocket, the nation’s large main rocket. This has put Japan in a critical situation in which it cannot move forward with its own space development.
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