Country launched 3 satellite rockets last year, compared with 192 for US

20260803N Japan H3 rocket launch

Japan launched its H3 flagship heavy-lift rocket on June 12. © Kyodo

TOKYO — 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.