Quiet Goodbye, Bold Hello: Japan’s H3 Rocket Takes the Torch from H-2A to Slash Costs and Double Cadence
Japan’s H-2A rocket made its 50th and final launch on June 28, 2025, carrying the GOSAT-GW climate satellite. The H-2A retires after a 98% success rate. Its successor, the H3, aims to double annual launches and cut costs to about $50 million per flight. H3’s first operational mission placed ALOS-4 in Sun-synchronous orbit on July 1, 2024.