[Breaking News]Japan H3 rocket mission fails

MINAMITANE, Japan, Dec. 22 Kyodo - Video taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 22, 2025, shows a Japanese H3 rocket lifting off from Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, with a Michibiki No. 5 satellite in its payload. The rocket failed to place the satellite into orbit after its second-stage engine prematurely cut off shortly after liftoff. (Kyodo)

H3 rocket launch canceled

MINAMITANE, Japan, Dec. 17 Kyodo - Video taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 17, 2025, shows a Japanese H3 rocket at the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency canceled the launch of the No. 8 rocket, loaded with the No. 5 Michibiki satellite for enhanced global positioning, due to an equipment malfunction. (Kyodo)

Japanese H3 rocket fails to put satellite into orbit

Japanese H3 rocket fails to put satellite into orbit

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency project manager Makoto Arita attends a press conference at the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025, after a Japanese H3 rocket failed to deliver the Michibiki No. 5 satellite into the target orbit.

Japanese H3 rocket fails to put satellite into orbit

Japanese H3 rocket fails to put satellite into orbit

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency project manager Makoto Arita attends a press conference at the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025, after a Japanese H3 rocket failed to deliver the Michibiki No. 5 satellite into the target orbit.

Japanese H3 rocket fails to put satellite into orbit

Japanese H3 rocket fails to put satellite into orbit

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Vice President Masashi Okada attends a press conference at the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025, after a Japanese H3 rocket failed to deliver the Michibiki No. 5 satellite into the target orbit.

Japan H3 rocket mission fails

Japan H3 rocket mission fails

Photo taken on Dec. 22, 2025, shows smoke billowing from the Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite after liftoff from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The rocket failed to place the satellite into orbit after its second-stage engine prematurely cut off shortly after liftoff.

Japan H3 rocket mission fails

Japan H3 rocket mission fails

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 22, 2025, shows a Japanese H3 rocket lifting off from Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, with a Michibiki No. 5 satellite in its payload. The rocket failed to place the satellite into orbit after its second-stage engine prematurely cut off shortly after liftoff.

H3 rocket launch

H3 rocket launch

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 22, 2025, shows the liftoff of a Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

H3 rocket launch

H3 rocket launch

A Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025.

H3 rocket launch

H3 rocket launch

A Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025.

H3 rocket launch

H3 rocket launch

A Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025.

H3 rocket launch

H3 rocket launch

A Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025.

H3 rocket launch

H3 rocket launch

A Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025.

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

A Long March-5 rocket carrying a new communication technology test satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 20, 2025. Launched at 8:30 p.m. (Beijing Time), the satellite has successfully entered its planned orbit. It will be mainly used to carry out multi-band and high-speed communication technology validation tests. The launch marks the 618th mission by the Long March carrier rocket series. Photo by Yang Guanyu/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

A Long March-5 rocket carrying a new communication technology test satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 20, 2025. Launched at 8:30 p.m. (Beijing Time), the satellite has successfully entered its planned orbit. It will be mainly used to carry out multi-band and high-speed communication technology validation tests. The launch marks the 618th mission by the Long March carrier rocket series. Photo by Yang Guanyu/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

A Long March-5 rocket carrying a new communication technology test satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 20, 2025. Launched at 8:30 p.m. (Beijing Time), the satellite has successfully entered its planned orbit. It will be mainly used to carry out multi-band and high-speed communication technology validation tests. The launch marks the 618th mission by the Long March carrier rocket series. Photo by Yang Guanyu/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

A Long March-5 rocket carrying a new communication technology test satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 20, 2025. Launched at 8:30 p.m. (Beijing Time), the satellite has successfully entered its planned orbit. It will be mainly used to carry out multi-band and high-speed communication technology validation tests. The launch marks the 618th mission by the Long March carrier rocket series. (Photo by Du Xinxin/Xinhua)

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

A Long March-5 rocket carrying a new communication technology test satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 20, 2025. Launched at 8:30 p.m. (Beijing Time), the satellite has successfully entered its planned orbit. It will be mainly used to carry out multi-band and high-speed communication technology validation tests. The launch marks the 618th mission by the Long March carrier rocket series. (Photo by Du Xinxin/Xinhua)

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

A Long March-5 rocket carrying a new communication technology test satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 20, 2025. Launched at 8:30 p.m. (Beijing Time), the satellite has successfully entered its planned orbit. It will be mainly used to carry out multi-band and high-speed communication technology validation tests. The launch marks the 618th mission by the Long March carrier rocket series. Photo by Yang Guanyu/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

A Long March-5 rocket carrying a new communication technology test satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 20, 2025. Launched at 8:30 p.m. (Beijing Time), the satellite has successfully entered its planned orbit. It will be mainly used to carry out multi-band and high-speed communication technology validation tests. The launch marks the 618th mission by the Long March carrier rocket series. (Photo by Du Xinxin/Xinhua)

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

A Long March-5 rocket carrying a new communication technology test satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 20, 2025. Launched at 8:30 p.m. (Beijing Time), the satellite has successfully entered its planned orbit. It will be mainly used to carry out multi-band and high-speed communication technology validation tests. The launch marks the 618th mission by the Long March carrier rocket series. Photo by Yang Guanyu/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

Test Satellite Launch From Wenchang - China

A Long March-5 rocket carrying a new communication technology test satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 20, 2025. Launched at 8:30 p.m. (Beijing Time), the satellite has successfully entered its planned orbit. It will be mainly used to carry out multi-band and high-speed communication technology validation tests. The launch marks the 618th mission by the Long March carrier rocket series. Photo by Yang Guanyu/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

H3 rocket launch canceled

H3 rocket launch canceled

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 17, 2025, shows a Japanese H3 rocket at the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency canceled the launch of the No. 8 rocket, loaded with the No. 5 Michibiki satellite for enhanced global positioning, due to an equipment malfunction.

H3 rocket launch canceled

H3 rocket launch canceled

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 17, 2025, shows a Japanese H3 rocket at the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency canceled the launch of the No. 8 rocket, loaded with the No. 5 Michibiki satellite for enhanced global positioning, due to an equipment malfunction.

H3 rocket launch canceled

H3 rocket launch canceled

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 17, 2025, shows a Japanese H3 rocket at the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency canceled the launch of the No. 8 rocket, loaded with the No. 5 Michibiki satellite for enhanced global positioning, due to an equipment malfunction.

Guizhou Bridges - China

Guizhou Bridges - China

This satellite images shows the Pingtang Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 15, 2022. Guizhou, the only province in China without a single plain and home to deep ravines, has long relied on tunnels and bridges to overcome its jagged karst landscape. Since 2012, the province has accelerated its bridge construction endeavors. Guizhou now has over 32,000 bridges either already built or under construction -- a tenfold increase compared to the 1980s. Due to its sheer number of bridges, diverse bridge types and complex construction technologies, Guizhou has earned the title of "the world's bridge museum." (Xinhua /Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Jiuquan Satellite Launch - China

Jiuquan Satellite Launch - China

A Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket carrying one space experimental spacecraft blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, on December 13, 2025. The rocket blasted off at 9:08 a.m. (Beijing Time). It successfully sent the payloads into the planned orbit. Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Jiuquan Satellite Launch - China

Jiuquan Satellite Launch - China

A Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket carrying one space experimental spacecraft blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, on December 13, 2025. The rocket blasted off at 9:08 a.m. (Beijing Time). It successfully sent the payloads into the planned orbit. Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Jiuquan Satellite Launch - China

Jiuquan Satellite Launch - China

A Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket carrying one space experimental spacecraft blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, on December 13, 2025. The rocket blasted off at 9:08 a.m. (Beijing Time). It successfully sent the payloads into the planned orbit. Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Jiuquan Satellite Launch - China

Jiuquan Satellite Launch - China

A Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket carrying one space experimental spacecraft blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, on December 13, 2025. The rocket blasted off at 9:08 a.m. (Beijing Time). It successfully sent the payloads into the planned orbit. Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Jiuquan Satellite Launch - China

Jiuquan Satellite Launch - China

A Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket carrying one space experimental spacecraft blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, on December 13, 2025. The rocket blasted off at 9:08 a.m. (Beijing Time). It successfully sent the payloads into the planned orbit. Photo by Wang Haixia/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellite Launched Successfully - China

Satellite Launched Successfully - China

A Long March-12 carrier rocket carrying a group of internet satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 12, 2025. The rocket lifted off at 7:00 a.m. on Friday. The payloads, the 16th group of low-orbit internet satellites, entered into preset orbit successfully. Photo by Pu Xiaoxu/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellite Launched Successfully - China

Satellite Launched Successfully - China

This long-exposure photo taken on Dec. 12, 2025 shows a Long March-12 carrier rocket carrying a group of internet satellites blasting off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province. The rocket lifted off at 7:00 a.m. on Friday. The payloads, the 16th group of low-orbit internet satellites, entered into preset orbit successfully. Photo by Pu Xiaoxu/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellite Launched Successfully - China

Satellite Launched Successfully - China

A Long March-12 carrier rocket carrying a group of internet satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 12, 2025. The rocket lifted off at 7:00 a.m. on Friday. The payloads, the 16th group of low-orbit internet satellites, entered into preset orbit successfully. Photo by Pu Xiaoxu/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellites Launch - China

Satellites Launch - China

The Lijian-1, also known as Kinetica-1 Y11, carrier rocket carrying 9 satellites, including one from the United Arab Emirates, blasts off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, December 10, 2025. The rocket blasted off at 12:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) and successfully sent the satellites into their planned orbits. Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellites Launch - China

Satellites Launch - China

A Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying the Shiyan-22 satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, December 9, 2025. The satellite was launched on Tuesday at 11:08 p.m. (Beijing Time) and entered its planned orbit as scheduled. The satellite will primarily support services including satellite communication, data transmission, and radio and television broadcasting, as well as conducting relevant technical tests and validations. Photo by Li Zhiyong/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellites Launch - China

Satellites Launch - China

The Lijian-1, also known as Kinetica-1 Y11, carrier rocket carrying 9 satellites, including one from the United Arab Emirates, blasts off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, December 10, 2025. The rocket blasted off at 12:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) and successfully sent the satellites into their planned orbits. Photo by Li Yunxi/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellites Launch - China

Satellites Launch - China

The Lijian-1, also known as Kinetica-1 Y11, carrier rocket carrying 9 satellites, including one from the United Arab Emirates, blasts off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, December 10, 2025. The rocket blasted off at 12:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) and successfully sent the satellites into their planned orbits. Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellites Launch - China

Satellites Launch - China

The Lijian-1, also known as Kinetica-1 Y11, carrier rocket carrying 9 satellites, including one from the United Arab Emirates, blasts off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, December 10, 2025. The rocket blasted off at 12:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) and successfully sent the satellites into their planned orbits. Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellites Launch - China

Satellites Launch - China

A Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying the Shiyan-22 satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, December 9, 2025. The satellite was launched on Tuesday at 11:08 p.m. (Beijing Time) and entered its planned orbit as scheduled. The satellite will primarily support services including satellite communication, data transmission, and radio and television broadcasting, as well as conducting relevant technical tests and validations. Photo by Li Zhiyong/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellites Launch - China

Satellites Launch - China

A Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying the Shiyan-22 satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, December 9, 2025. The satellite was launched on Tuesday at 11:08 p.m. (Beijing Time) and entered its planned orbit as scheduled. The satellite will primarily support services including satellite communication, data transmission, and radio and television broadcasting, as well as conducting relevant technical tests and validations. Photo by Li Zhiyong/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellites Launch - China

Satellites Launch - China

A Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying the Shiyan-22 satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, December 9, 2025. The satellite was launched on Tuesday at 11:08 p.m. (Beijing Time) and entered its planned orbit as scheduled. The satellite will primarily support services including satellite communication, data transmission, and radio and television broadcasting, as well as conducting relevant technical tests and validations. Photo by Li Zhiyong/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellites Launch - China

Satellites Launch - China

The Lijian-1, also known as Kinetica-1 Y11, carrier rocket carrying 9 satellites, including one from the United Arab Emirates, blasts off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, December 10, 2025. The rocket blasted off at 12:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) and successfully sent the satellites into their planned orbits. Photo by Li Yunxi/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellites Launch - China

Satellites Launch - China

A Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying the Shiyan-22 satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, December 9, 2025. The satellite was launched on Tuesday at 11:08 p.m. (Beijing Time) and entered its planned orbit as scheduled. The satellite will primarily support services including satellite communication, data transmission, and radio and television broadcasting, as well as conducting relevant technical tests and validations. Photo by Li Zhiyong/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellites Launch - China

Satellites Launch - China

The Lijian-1, also known as Kinetica-1 Y11, carrier rocket carrying 9 satellites, including one from the United Arab Emirates, blasts off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, December 10, 2025. The rocket blasted off at 12:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) and successfully sent the satellites into their planned orbits. Photo by Li Yunxi/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellite View of Gulf of Morbihan - France

Satellite View of Gulf of Morbihan - France

Handout Satellite View, dated October 17, 2025, shows the Gulf of Morbihan in France. The Gulf of Morbihan, part of the Natura 2000 network, forms one of France’s most distinctive coastal landscapes. This inland sea is dotted with dozens of small islands and peninsulas, creating a labyrinth of sheltered bays, narrow channels, and shifting tidal flats. Its highly indented shape supports a mosaic of coastal habitats, from eelgrass meadows to mudflats, which provide vital feeding and breeding grounds for migratory birds and numerous marine species. Located in Brittany, near towns such as Vannes, Arradon, and Arzon, the gulf’s intricate contours are clearly visible in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image acquired on 17 October 2025. The deep blues highlight the flooded channels at high tide, while surrounding vegetation appears in bright green. Photo by European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery via ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellite View of Shark Bay UNESCO World Heritage Site - Australia

Satellite View of Shark Bay UNESCO World Heritage Site - Australia

Handout satellite view, dated on November 26, 2025, shows the Shark Bay UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shark Bay, located on the western coast of Australia, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its exceptional natural beauty, including unique marine biodiversity and one of the world's most extensive seagrass beds. The site is globally significant for its ecological processes, geological formations, and as a habitat for threatened species such as dugongs and green turtles. These fragile ecosystems are highly sensitive to changes in water quality, sea temperature, and coastal development. This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, acquired on 26 November 2025, shows the striking coastal and marine features of Shark Bay in high resolution. The contrasting colours reveal shallow sandbanks, seagrass meadows, and hypersaline basins, as well as the arid terrestrial surroundings near Denham. Photo by European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery via ABACAPRESS.COM

Satellite View of Graham Land - Antarctica

Satellite View of Graham Land - Antarctica

Handout Satellite views dated on November 21, 2025, shows Graham Land. Graham Land, the northernmost stretch of the Antarctic Peninsula, is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth. Its mountainous spine and outlet glaciers drain into the Weddell Sea, forming an important transition zone between grounded ice, floating shelves, and open water. This dynamic landscape supports rich marine ecosystems, including krill-dependent species such as seals, penguins, and seabirds, and plays an important role in global ocean circulation and climate regulation. This Copernicus Sentinel-1 image, acquired on 21 November 2025, shows the contrasting textures of grounded ice, fragmented sea ice, and dark, open ocean, revealing key glaciological features in radar backscatter. Copernicus data is essential to climate science. A recent study published in Nature used Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data to analyse glacier dynamics in Graham Land, Antarctica. Photo by European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-1 imagery via ABA

Wenchang Satellite Launch - Hainan

Wenchang Satellite Launch - Hainan

A Long March-8A carrier rocket carrying the 14th group of low-orbit internet satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 6, 2025. The rocket lifted off at 3:53 p.m. on Saturday. It successfully placed the payloads into preset orbit. Photo by Guo Cheng /Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Wenchang Satellite Launch - Hainan

Wenchang Satellite Launch - Hainan

A Long March-8A carrier rocket carrying the 14th group of low-orbit internet satellites blasts off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 6, 2025. The rocket lifted off at 3:53 p.m. on Saturday. It successfully placed the payloads into preset orbit. Photo by Guo Cheng /Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM