JAXA Successfully Launches 'Michibiki 6' Navigation Satellite into Orbit.
Science and Technology
On February 2, 2025, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), based in Tokyo, Japan, successfully launched 'Michibiki 6', a navigation satellite, aboard its H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
- This launch marks Japan's first satellite launch of 2025 and the fourth consecutive successful launch for the H3 rocket, reinforcing its role as Japan's new flagship launch vehicle.
- The 1,900-kilogram (kg) 'Michibiki 6' satellite, also known as the Quasi-Zenith Satellite (QZS-6), is part of Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS)—a positioning satellite network operational since 2018, designed to enhance location accuracy for smartphones, navigation systems, and drones by operating in multiple orbits to ensure continuous satellite coverage over Japan.
- 'Michibiki 6' is the fifth satellite in the QZSS constellation, with plans to expand the system to seven satellites by March 2026 and 11 satellites by the late 2030s, aiming to improve positioning accuracy from 5-10 meters (m) to within 1 meter (m).
Main Point :- (i) The H3 rocket, developed jointly by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited, based in Tokyo, Japan, is positioned to replace the H-2A rocket.
(ii) The H3 rocket serves as the successor to the H2A series and the Epsilon system, a smaller launch vehicle.
(iii) In 2024, Japan conducted five rocket launches, including three H3 launches and two H-2A launches.
About Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Administrator : Hiroshi Yamakawa
Headquarters- Tokyo, Japan
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