JAXA · Kimotsuki, Kagoshima, Japan, Japan
Launch Pads
1 orbital (M-V pad, reconfigured for Epsilon-S)as of [1]Annual Launches
1–2as of [1]Max Payload (LEO)
700 kg to SSO (Epsilon-S target)as of [1]Epsilon-S return-to-flight following 2022 failure under investigationEstablished
1962
Uchinoura Space Center, formerly known as Kagoshima Space Center, is Japan's oldest launch facility specializing in solid-fuel rockets and scientific missions. Operated by JAXA's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), it launched Japan's first satellite and continues to serve as the site for Epsilon rocket missions and sounding rockets.
| Region | Asia |
| Country | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| Coordinates | 31.2513° N, 131.0769° E |
| Ownership | Government |
| Parent Entity | JAXA / ISAS (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science) / MEXT |
| Regulatory Regime | MEXT / Cabinet Office Space Activities Act (2018, amended 2023) |
| Latitude Advantage | 31.25°N — similar to Tanegashima; chosen for scientific-mission flexibility and proximity to ISAS rather than payload-to-orbit performance |
| Azimuth Range | 60°–120° (LEO, SSO, interplanetary windows) |
| Website | https://global.jaxa.jp/ |
Anchor Tenants
Active Users
Strategic Value
Japan's science-mission specialty pad — small/medium solid launchers and sounding rockets. Hayabusa sample-return heritage; primary Epsilon S pad. Differentiates from Tanegashima by avoiding cryogenic infrastructure and ISS-cadence constraints.
Recent Activity
Epsilon S first-stage ground test failure July 2024 delayed return-to-flight; sounding-rocket campaigns continue.
2027
Epsilon S return-to-flight after combustion-anomaly investigation
2028
Continued small-science-satellite cadence for JAXA/ISAS missions