April 24, 2026 (JST)

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

 The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) hereby announces the scheduled launch of the 6th H3 Launch Vehicle (Type 30 Test Vehicle） as outlined below.

 The 6th H3 Launch Vehicle will carry the Vehicle Evaluation Payload-5 (VEP-5) to conduct the flight demonstration. In addition, we will capitalize on the excess launch capability of the 6th H3 Launch Vehicle by providing launch and orbit insertion opportunities for 6 small secondary payloads (piggyback payloads), PETREL, STARS-X, BRO-22, VERTECS, HORN-L and HORN-R.

 In response to the launch failure of the 8th H3 Launch Vehicle, final evaluations and inspections of the 6th H3 Launch Vehicle, including confirmation of the integrity of the Payload Separation System (PSS), will be conducted prior to liftoff. Furthermore, the additional flight data will be acquired to support the evaluation of the cause analysis and to improve the reliability of subsequent missions.

Launch Details