日本拟2027年前将H3火箭发射运营从JAXA移交三菱重工，以商业化对标SpaceX

TOKYO -- Japan plans to begin discussions with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on transferring responsibility to the company for launch operations of the country's flagship H3 rocket, looking to complete the transition by 2027.
The aim is to ease cost management and strengthen the rocket's commercial competitiveness, helping Japan win more overseas satellite launch contracts in a market now led by American company SpaceX.
Until now, Mitsubishi Heavy has been responsible for manufacturing Japan's rockets, while the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has retained ultimate responsibility for launch operations.
Transferring launch operations to the private sector would allow greater flexibility in marketing the H3's services and securing satellite launch orders. Better visibility on future launch demand would also enable bulk procurement of components, helping lower costs.
Costs for the H3's predecessor, the H-IIA, were estimated at about 10 billion yen ($63.3 million) per launch -- higher than such foreign competitors as SpaceX. The H-IIA secured just five launch contracts from overseas, including from South Korea and Canada.
The H3 was developed from 2014 -- targeting launch costs roughly half of the H-IIA's -- on the assumption that launch operations would eventually be transferred to the private sector. Failures during the first and seventh launches had delayed the timetable for privatization.
Following the successful 10th H3 launch on Tuesday and the absence of any major technical problems, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and JAXA have concluded that the rocket is ready for a transition to private-sector management.
The government and Mitsubishi Heavy will negotiate specific terms and conditions of the transfer moving forward.
SpaceX dominates the global satellite launch market. Of 316 rockets launched worldwide in 2025, SpaceX accounted for more than half, at 165, data from Japan's Cabinet Office shows. The Elon Musk-founded company has achieved a strong cost advantage through the use of reusable rockets that can be recovered and launched again.
Shifting H3 launch operations to the private sector would enable JAXA to redirect personnel toward research and development, including work on reusable rocket technology that could further improve performance and reduce costs.
Continued growth is expected in worldwide demand for satellite launches for such applications as Earth observation and communications. Japan believes that a more competitive H3 could capture demand that cannot be fully met by SpaceX alone.