Japan seeks more H3 rocket launches to chase SpaceX

Aerospace & Defense Industries$148m budget request would lift frequency to between 6 and 8 times per yearThe budget increase would reduce the time between launches to as little as two weeks, making the H3 more competitive as an option for putting satellites into orbit. © KyodoKENTO FUKUI and DAI KUWAMURAAugust 27, 2026 01:35 JSTTOKYO -- Japan's science ministry intends to request roughly eightfold more in its budget toward increasing the launch capacity of the country's flagship H3 heavy-lift rocket, Nikkei has learned, in hopes of breaking SpaceX's dominance in the field.