Satellite   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Commercial Space   Asia-Pacific (APAC)  
SpaceNews.com • Jeff Foust

Japan’s H3 returns to flight with first successful launch since December failure; maiden H3-30 booster-free configuration reache

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched its H3 rocket on June 11/12 following a December mission failure. The flight validated the booster-free H3-30 configuration with three LE-9 expander-bleed-cycle engines, placing six smallsats into orbit after on-orbit separation, with June 12 launch timing adjusted for weather.

2026-06-12T05:41:54.367135-07:00
Event   Europe   ESA   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Space Policy & International Cooperation  
Space Intel Report • Peter B. de Selding

EU governments' refusal to book rockets in advance put them at risk of watching their missions go to non-European launchers

By Space Intel Report: BERLIN — European governments spent years trying to figure out how to stimulate demand for their Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket so that, even it it’s not profitable, its losses could be kept to a level acceptable to its contributing nations.

Also: Aviation Week
2026-06-12T05:58:42.590243-07:00
Satellite   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Space Policy & International Cooperation   Policy & Regulation  
NEW
Via Satellite • Mark Holmes

Canadian Government Awards EO Satellite Contracts to Calian, Kepler, MDA Space

By Via Satellite: The Canadian government has signed a slew of new contracts as it looks to boost its capabilities in Earth Observation (EO).

2026-06-12T06:43:03.190156-07:00
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Commercial Space   Space Policy & International Cooperation   Asia-Pacific (APAC)  
Bloomberg • Yasutaka Tamura

SpaceX Raises $2.2 Billion in Japan Slice of Record-Breaking IPO

By Bloomberg: SpaceX raised $2.2 billion from Japanese investors, according to a regulatory filing on Friday, as part of the world’s largest-ever initial public offering.

Also: Financial Times, CBS News, Seeking Alpha and 3 more
2026-06-11T23:57:00.687075-07:00