No, H3 Hasn't Just Completed Two Launches — The Count Is Already at Three
“H3 has completed two launches total”
The argument in brief
The claim that Japan's H3 rocket has completed exactly two launches is outdated. As of July 2024, H3 has made three launch attempts — a failed first flight in March 2023, a successful second in February 2024, and a third successful mission in July 2024. JAXA's own records and multiple news outlets confirm the third launch carried the ALOS-4 satellite into orbit.
Data: JAXA H3 Launch Records
Why it spread
H3's first two flights were dramatic — one ended in destruction, the other was a hard-won comeback. That narrative arc made 'two launches' a memorable story peg. The third flight, a routine success, got far less attention, so the earlier figure kept circulating unchallenged. Space enthusiasts and casual followers alike tend to remember the milestone moments, not the quieter missions that follow.
The claim that Japan's H3 rocket has completed two launches total is incorrect as of mid-2024. While it may have been accurate for a brief window between February and July 2024, the rocket's third mission has since taken place, making the two-launch figure stale at best and misleading at worst.
Here is what the record actually shows. H3's first flight took place in March 2023 and ended in failure — the second stage failed to ignite and the rocket was deliberately destroyed. That painful setback drew heavy media attention and put Japan's next-generation launch program under a spotlight. JAXA's official H3 project page documents this as Test Flight No. 1.
The program recovered with Test Flight No. 2 on February 17, 2024, which successfully reached orbit. That milestone was widely celebrated and heavily covered, and it is likely where the 'two launches' figure got locked in people's minds. But the story did not stop there. On July 1, 2024, H3 flew again — its third mission — carrying the ALOS-4 Earth observation satellite, as reported by both NHK World and Space.com.
To be fair to the claim, there is a narrow sense in which 'two launches' could have been technically accurate: if someone counted only the two 2024 flights, or only the successful ones, the number two appears. But by any standard count of all H3 launch attempts, the total stands at three.
This kind of error spreads because space launches get intense coverage at the moment they happen, then fade from public memory fast. The H3's troubled early history made its first two flights especially memorable, cementing 'two' as a round, easy number to repeat. When a third launch happens quietly and successfully, it rarely generates the same buzz — and the outdated figure keeps circulating. If you see launch counts cited without a date attached, treat them as a starting point, not a final answer.
Sources
- JAXA H3 Launch Vehicle Official Page
JAXA's H3 rocket had its first successful orbital launch (Test Flight No. 2) on February 17, 2024, after the inaugural Test Flight No. 1 failed in March 2023. A third launch (H3 Flight No. 3) carrying the ALOS-4 satellite was conducted on July 1, 2024.
- NHK World - H3 Rocket Launch Coverage
NHK reported on the H3 rocket's third launch in July 2024, indicating that by mid-2024 the H3 had conducted at least three launch attempts, not two.
- Space.com - H3 Rocket Launch History
Coverage of H3 launches documents the failed first attempt (March 2023), the successful second flight (February 2024), and a third mission (July 2024), suggesting the claim of only two total launches may be outdated or incorrect depending on the date of the claim.