Japan’s space agency, along with the science ministry, is preparing a series of upgrades at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture to support its ambitious plans for more frequent H3 rocket launches. The agency has announced aimed annual launch counts of seven or more for its flagship H3 model, though current equipment limits the operation to six launches per year. This stems from existing constraints such as the capacity of liquid oxygen storage tanks, which are currently sized for a single launch.
To overcome these limitations, officials are working to increase the number of liquid oxygen storage tanks from three to four and add another assembly facility for satellites, enhancing the center’s ability to work on three rockets at the same time. Moreover, an assembly building formerly used for H-2A rocket constructions is slated for conversion to accommodate the new H3 model. Alongside these upgrades, a new X-ray inspection system for rocket piping interiors has been introduced at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Tobishima plant, aimed at reducing rocket production times.
Financial backing for these improvements has been secured with an allocation of 1.88 billion yen ($12 million) from the government’s upcoming fiscal 2025 and supplementary budgets. The completed enhancements, which are scheduled to be finished by the first half of fiscal 2027, are expected to provide greater scheduling flexibility and position Japan more competitively on the international stage for satellite launches.