Japan’s new spy satellite sent into orbit
Japan’s new spy satellite was launched into the orbit on Friday, an official from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced.
The H-2A rocket which carries the new information-gathering optical satellite is said to have lifted off at 1.36pm from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.
Equipped with a high-resolution camera, the satellite is able to “detect objects on Earth as small as 60 centimeters in size.” The launching of the satellite will give boost to the country’s surveillance efforts concerning national security and natural disasters.
Japan at present, has a total of three information-gathering satellites in orbit. All three are optical satellites which mean they are able to capture images in broad daylight and in clear weather. The new spy satellite is said to replace a satellite which is almost at the end of its useful life.
The country is also planning to launch in two years time, radar satellites which can capture objects at night and in cloudy weather.
According to the government, the new satellite costs 36 billion yen ($470 million) with expenses for the launching alone amounting to 10 billion yen.
The spy satellite was initially scheduled to be launched on August 28 but was postponed three times due to poor weather conditions and system glitch.
Photo by: Cliff1066
