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Japan kind-of completes its sovereign satnav constellation
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Japan has placed the final satellite of its current Quasi-Zenith Satellite System into orbit, completing a seven-satellite constellation.
The new satellite fills the last gap in Japan's domestic positioning network, giving engineers a reliable high-elevation signal for urban canyons and mountainous terrain where GPS can be weak. It also demonstrates that JAXA's H3 launch vehicle can recover from a recent failure, restoring confidence in a home-grown launch capability for future missions.
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The launch of QZS-7 (Michibiki No. 7) completes the seven-satellite QZSS constellation intended to provide continuous coverage over Japan.
The satellite was delivered by JAXA's H3 medium-lift rocket, which has experienced two launch failures, the most recent caused by a glue issue in December 2025.
QZSS uses an inclined geostationary orbit that keeps at least one satellite at a high elevation above Japan, complementing GPS for better accuracy in dense cities and rugged regions.
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