JAXA · Tanegashima Island, Kagoshima, Japan, Japan
Launch Pads
2 (Yoshinobu Launch Complex: LP-1 H-IIA/B, LP-2 H3)as of [1]Annual Launches
2–4as of [1]Max Payload (LEO)
16,500 kg to LEO (H3-24L variant)as of [1]H3 first successful orbital flight February 2024Established
1969
Tanegashima Space Center is Japan's largest launch facility, often called the most beautiful rocket launch site in the world due to its tropical island setting. Operated by JAXA, it serves as the primary site for H-IIA, H-IIB, and the new H3 launch vehicle. It has supported Japan's most ambitious space missions.
| Region | Asia |
| Country | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| Coordinates | 30.4009° N, 130.9758° E |
| Ownership | Government |
| Parent Entity | JAXA / MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) |
| Regulatory Regime | MEXT / Cabinet Office Space Activities Act (2018, amended 2023) |
| Latitude Advantage | 30.40°N — moderate-latitude pad; ~7% GTO penalty vs. Cape Canaveral but Pacific overwater range gives broad azimuth flexibility |
| Azimuth Range | 60°–120° (LEO, GTO, SSO via dogleg) |
| Website | https://global.jaxa.jp/ |
Anchor Tenants
Active Users
Strategic Value
Japan's sole heavy-lift orbital pad; underpins HTV-X cargo missions to ISS, JAXA lunar/planetary science, and commercial H3 launch service competing with Falcon 9 on price. H3 transition is Japan's bet to halve LEO/GTO launch costs vs. retired H-IIA.
Recent Activity
H3 second successful flight February 2024 after maiden-flight failure 2023; H3 operational launches deploying ALOS-4 and HTV-X; MMX Mars Moons mission target window 2026.
2026
MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) sample-return launch to Phobos
2027
Epsilon S return to flight after 2023 test failure
2028
H3 cadence ramp to 6+ flights/year supporting commercial GTO and HTV-X