Japan to foster space industry competition, looking for next SpaceX

PoliticsCountry launched 3 satellite rockets last year, compared with 192 for USJapan launched its H3 flagship heavy-lift rocket on June 12. © KyodoSATOSHI TEZUKAAugust 4, 2026 03:51 JSTTOKYO -- Japan looks to introduce the element of competition to its space industry, planning a program modeled after one in the U.S. that helped SpaceX find prominence, as Tokyo tries to drastically increase the country's successful rocket launches.