Japan’s struggling flagship H3 rocket returns to flight with the debut of a low-cost variant

Japan's struggling flagship H3 rocket returns to flight with the debut of a low-cost variant

Japan's H3 rocket returned to flight Friday with a new low-cost "30 configuration" featuring triple engines and no boosters—success after two failures. The variant enables cost-competitive launches against SpaceX, securing Japan's space sovereignty and viability for its planned 2028 Mars mission.