Japan scrubbed its Dec. 17 H3 rocket launch due to a ground system glitch, delaying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite mission again.

Japan canceled the December 17, 2025, launch of its H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 navigation satellite due to an unspecified ground system anomaly detected during countdown. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) halted the mission for safety, initiating an investigation into the issue. The satellite is part of Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, designed to improve regional navigation accuracy. This marks the second delay for the mission, previously postponed from December 7. No new launch date has been set.