Japan has placed the Michibiki-7 navigation satellite into orbit aboard an H3 rocket launched from the Tanegashima Space Center.
The spacecraft joined the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, or QZSS. The network works alongside GPS and supplements its signals to improve positioning accuracy across Japan.
The launch brings the Michibiki constellation to six satellites. Japan needs at least seven operational spacecraft for a stable independent navigation network.
Expanding QZSS is intended to reduce Japan’s reliance on foreign navigation systems and broaden access to high-precision positioning services.
The government plans to expand the constellation to 11 satellites by the mid-2030s. The source report did not specify dates for the next launches.
