Japan Govt's 8th Intelligence Satellite Launched Successfully

Tanegashima, Kagoshima Pref., Sept. 26 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government's eighth information-gathering radar satellite was launched successfully on an H-2A rocket on Thursday.

The 49th unit of the H-2A rocket lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, at 2:24 p.m. After the launch, handled by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., the satellite entered the planned orbit.

Operated by the government's Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center, the de facto spy satellite was first introduced in 1998 following a ballistic missile launch by North Korea. The system has been utilized not only for national security purposes but also in times of natural disaster.

The launches of the H-2A rocket, first put into commission in 2001, have been successful for all units but for the sixth one in 2003. It will be retired after the launch of the 50th unit scheduled by the end of March next year and will be succeeded by the new H3 rocket, which was developed to improve launch capability and significantly reduce costs.

Iwao Igarashi, senior general manager of space systems at Mitsubishi Heavy, told a press conference: "Launching the 49th unit successfully was an important step in preparation for the launch of the next and final H-2A rocket. Our spirits were high."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]