JAXA Reschedules MICHIBIKI QZS-7 Launch on H3 Flight 9
Summary: On June 15, 2026, JAXA officially announced the rescheduled launch window for the MICHIBIKI QZS-7 navigation satellite on the H3 F9 mission.
JAXA updated the schedule for the ninth flight of the H3 launch vehicle (H3 F9) in a press release issued on June 15, 2026. The mission is intended to carry MICHIBIKI QZS-7, the next-generation spacecraft for Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, and the launch window has been revised from its previously planned slot.
QZS-7 is part of Japan’s effort to densify the MICHIBIKI constellation so that augmentation signals for high-precision positioning remain available even in urban canyons and mountainous terrain. H3, which returned to flight in 2024, has since handled a string of commercial and government payloads, and F9 continues that cadence into 2026. Once QZS-7 reaches operational orbit, the quasi-zenith fleet grows from the current four satellites toward a seven-satellite configuration, strengthening Japan’s independent regional navigation capability.
The exact reason for the reschedule and the newly confirmed launch slot are detailed in the original JAXA release linked below; readers are referred there for the latest timing.