On the morning of July 1, Japan carried out the launch of the H3 series of launch vehicles, H3 is a launch vehicle developed by Japan to replace H2A, and like H2A, the first stage engine also uses a hydrogen-oxygen rocket engine, so it is "in the same vein". Today's launch is the third launch of the H3 launch vehicle, the first of the two previous launches was unsuccessful. Japan has encountered many difficulties in the development of the H3 series of launch vehicles, and from the current state, the H3 technology has been relatively stable. Judging from the information released by Japan, the large observation satellite carried by H3 has been successfully put into orbit. Japan will conduct four space launches in 2024, and the frequency of launches is obviously not comparable to that of the United States, Russia, and China.
As a defeated country in World War II, Japan has the ability to develop and launch large launch vehicles, which has exposed the military potential behind it, and theoretically Japan has the ability to develop ballistic missiles, in fact, Japan's Self-Defense Forces currently have a variety of missile equipment, including anti-ship missiles, anti-aircraft missiles and air-to-air missiles, and there are models developed by Japan itself, so it shows that Japan has solid-fuel rocket engine technology. Theoretically, Japan could develop and equip long-range ballistic missiles if necessary, but Japan is limited by the "Peace Constitution" and has not yet built long-range strike ballistic missiles. Japan's ability to automatically control launch vehicles means that it has the ability to strike ballistic missiles with precision, and since Japan has already landed a probe on the moon, Japan's war potential cannot be ignored.
Japan's lunar exploration program is actually a bit embarrassing, because the probe fell on the moon, so that the exploration plan could not be completed as scheduled, but the Japanese probe did not crash and has been considered a successful landing. Before Japan landed a probe on the moon, Japan had actually landed multiple probes on the Ryugu asteroid and brought back relevant samples. In addition to independent space exploration, Japan has also joined the International Space Station (ISS) program, has its own module, and has also used its own launch vehicle to launch cargo spacecraft to resupply the ISS. But Japan does not have its own manned spacecraft, so it goes to the ISS through American and Russian spacecraft.
Today, Japan's Fumio Kishida government is constantly improving Japan's comprehensive military strength under the pretext of the so-called "Chinese military threat", and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is trying to maintain his ruling position by taking a tough stance on China. At a time when Japan's economy is in a downturn, Japan insists on "reckless military force", which is obviously a price to pay, and Japan has recently sharply revised down its economic data for the first quarter of 2024, highlighting Japan's predicament today.
However, Japan's economic downturn has not allowed Japan to stop further development in the military field, and Japan is determined to increase its defense budget, and at the same time promote the improvement and development of a variety of long-range strike weapons, and at the same time, through Japan's military industrial system, it is necessary to export Patriot-3 air defense missiles to the United States, so it is necessary to be vigilant against Japan.