- Tokyo aims to increase H3 launch frequency to make rocket a ‘trusted vehicle’ and internationally competitive
- Japan’s MMX mission, due to launch Oct. 20, seeks first-ever sample return from Mars’ moon Phobos
Japan is doubling down on its ability to reach and operate in space on its own terms, the head of the country's space agency said, as competition in orbit intensifies and a Japanese probe prepares to depart for the moons of Mars.
"We'd like to focus on the autonomy regarding space. That means, for example, autonomous access to space and autonomous activity in space," Hiroshi Yamakawa, president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), told Anadolu in Antalya, host of the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026).
"Those two are very important for Japan. That's why we are developing rocket technology and also satellite technology," he said.
Yamakawa, who has led JAXA since April 2018, said these capabilities serve Japan's national space policy goals in three areas: space security, the space economy and space exploration.
"We would like to further strengthen those technological capabilities to realize national space policies and contribute to our daily life, economy and national security," he added.
Japan's space program dates back to 1955, when a University of Tokyo team led by engineer Hideo Itokawa test-fired a 23-centimeter experimental rocket known as the "Pencil" in Kokubunji near Tokyo.
‘Already an operational rocket'
To secure sovereign launch capabilities amid an increasingly competitive commercial launch sector dominated by global industry players like SpaceX, Japan is ramping up operations of its flagship H3 launch vehicle.
First launched successfully in early 2024 as a joint project between JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to replace the H-IIA, the liquid-fueled rocket is designed as Japan's primary heavy-lift workhorse.
Addressing how Japan plans to maintain competitiveness, Yamakawa pointed to the upcoming milestone flight of the vehicle.
“Autonomous access to space is vital for Japanese space activities, and the H3 rocket is at the heart of that endeavor,” he said. “We will launch H3 rocket number 10 this month. And that means our H3 rocket is already an operational rocket.”
He added that JAXA aims to step up the frequency of missions.
“We would like to further increase the launch cadence -- I mean the number of launches in the near future -- so that we can make the H3 rocket a trusted vehicle and also an internationally competitive rocket.”
The 10th H3 launch is scheduled for Oct. 20 from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan and will carry the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft.
‘Transformable robot’ heads for Mars
Yamakawa described MMX as a milestone for Japanese planetary exploration.
"It will be the world's first sample return mission for Martian moon Phobos. And it's so exciting to ... move on to the next step," he said.
MMX is designed to study both of Mars' small moons, Phobos and Deimos, land on Phobos, collect at least 10 grams of surface material and bring it back to Earth, with the return planned for 2031. NASA, the European Space Agency, France's CNES and Germany's DLR are partners in the mission, and the spacecraft carries a small rover, Idefix, built by the French and German agencies.
Scientists hope the samples will help settle whether the two moons are captured asteroids or debris thrown into orbit by a giant impact on Mars.
Yamakawa said the mission could shed light on the origin and evolution of the Martian moons, of Mars itself and of the solar system as a whole.
He also stressed the engineering challenge.
"From an engineering point of view, it is really a kind of transformable robot, because it will change its shape and function," he said.
He explained that the spacecraft will shed parts of itself at each stage: separating a module after arriving at Mars, releasing hardware used for the landing once it has touched down on Phobos, and finally dropping a capsule carrying the samples into Earth's atmosphere on its return.
The mission follows JAXA's Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 probes, which brought back samples from the asteroids Itokawa and Ryugu.
Space debris 'the biggest issue'
Yamakawa's remarks come weeks after US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in September that the US Space Force has "on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action," the first official US acknowledgment of weapons in orbit.
China's Foreign Ministry responded by urging Washington to stop expanding its military buildup in outer space and preparing for war there, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said space "must be free of any weapon."
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit but does not explicitly prohibit conventional weapons.
Asked about rising geopolitical tensions in space and the possibility of conflict beyond Earth, Yamakawa framed space security in terms of keeping orbit usable.
"Space security in Japan means a sustainable use of outer space. For example, the biggest issue is the space debris," he said.
"Space debris collision with active satellites will be a big issue for everybody."
He said JAXA tracks debris using ground stations, telescopes and radars, with a constant focus on preventing collisions with operational satellites.
"That's the biggest issue, and also that's the most important thing to engage," he added.
‘Promising area' for Japan-Türkiye cooperation
Welcoming the host nation of IAC 2026, Yamakawa commended Türkiye's recent strides in space exploration, citing the country's first human spaceflight mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in early 2024 and the deployment of its domestically built Turksat 6A telecommunications satellite.
“I think Türkiye has made big progress recently in the space arena,” he said.
He underscored that the two nations already share a history of orbital and satellite cooperation, pointing to the Japanese Experiment Module (Kibo) on the ISS, through which Turkish microsatellites have previously been deployed, alongside ongoing satellite data sharing for disaster management and Earth observation.
“I think space is a promising area for further collaboration,” he said, adding that further developing cooperation with Türkiye is one of Japan’s objectives at the congress.
