Japan's upgraded "H3" carrier rocket was launched into space on Friday morning for a test mission.
According to Oxu.Az, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) reported the launch.
The spacecraft lifted off from the Tanegashima launch complex at 09:52 Tokyo time (04:52 Baku time).
As a payload, the rocket will deliver a "VEP-5" mass model to a sun-synchronous orbit, as well as six small satellites belonging to France and Japan.
This flight is the first launch of this rocket since a failure on December 22, 2025, caused by a malfunction in the second stage. That incident resulted in the loss of the "Michibiki-5" (QZS-5) navigation satellite.
In March, the aerospace agency conducted static fire tests of the first stage of the "H3-30" modification of the H3 rocket. This variant differs from earlier ones by the absence of side solid-fuel boosters and the use of three "LE-9" oxygen-hydrogen engines.
