Japan successfully launches H3 rocket carrying positioning satellite

TANEGASHIMA, Japan - The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on Tuesday successfully launched an H3 rocket and put a positioning satellite into orbit, marking the second successful launch in a row of Japan's flagship rocket after a failure last December.

The H3 rocket No. 9 lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima, a small island in southwestern Japan, early Tuesday, carrying the Michibiki No. 7 positioning satellite, part of the country's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System used to provide location information for smartphones and vehicle navigation.