September 26 (NHK) – A Japanese government information-gathering satellite has been successfully placed into a planned orbit around Earth.
An H2A rocket carrying the satellite lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, at 2:24 p.m. on Thursday.
The H2A jettisoned its booster rockets and first stage motor before launching the satellite into orbit.
Information-gathering satellites are designed to capture images of the Earth’s surface.
The satellites are used, among other things, to monitor North Korea’s missile launch facilities and to estimate the extent of damage in disasters.
The radar satellite launched on Thursday is a radar satellite that can take photos at night or in bad weather conditions. It will replace one currently in use.
The H2A rocket, which launched the 49th in its series on Thursday, has completed 43 successful launches in a row but faces challenges such as high costs.
It is planned to be replaced by its successor H3 rockets after the launch of the 50th rocket, scheduled during the current fiscal year at the end of March 2025.
