Japan launches final satellite of current QZSS generation, boosting sovereign navigation coverage

On Tuesday, a JAXA H3 launch successfully inserted the seventh satellite of Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, Michibiki No. 7 (QZS-7), into its inclined geostationary orbit. The H3, Japan’s newest medium-class launcher, has flown nine times and suffered two failures, the latest in December 2025 that lost the QZS-5 payload. Japan built the QZSS to provide reliable positioning where GPS signals are weak, especially in mountainous regions and densely populated cities, by keeping a satellite nearly overhead for up to 13 hours at a time.

The system began with an experimental satellite in 2010, added four production units between 2017 and 2021, and expanded to seven orbiters with the recent launch. Plans call for three additional satellites in the 2030s, though no replacement for the failed QZS-5 is scheduled. This launch gives Japan near-complete coverage and demonstrates growing confidence in the H3 launch vehicle.