A cellphone screen showing the live broadcast of the launch of Japan's H3 rocket is pictured in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 22, 2025. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launched an H3 rocket on Monday morning, but the second-stage engine ceased combustion prematurely. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
TOKYO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Japan's launch of an H3 Rocket failed to place the satellite "Michibiki No. 5" into the planned orbit on Monday, according to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched its eighth H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at 10:51 a.m. local time, but the second-stage engine ceased combustion prematurely, the ministry said.
The space agency is assessing the situation and investigating the cause of the engine's premature cutoff.
The H3 rocket carried the Japanese-made "Michibiki No. 5" satellite system, designed to enhance GPS accuracy for smartphones, car navigation systems, and other location-based services. ■
A cellphone screen showing the live broadcast of the launch of Japan's H3 rocket is pictured in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 22, 2025. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launched an H3 rocket on Monday morning, but the second-stage engine ceased combustion prematurely. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)