Japan Successfully Launches Intelligence Satellite

Tanegashima, Kagoshima Pref., Jan. 12 (Jiji Press)--Japan successfully launched a government information-gathering optical satellite on an H-2A rocket on Friday. 

The H-2A Launch Vehicle No. 48 lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, at 1:44 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.

Since 2013, the information-gathering satellite system has been composed of two optical sensor satellites that can take pictures even if the sky is cloudy, and two radar satellites that can make observations even in bad weather or at night. The system has been utilized not only for national security purposes but also in times of natural disaster. 

The government is working to add two each of optical sensor, radar and data relay satellites to the system, aiming to have a total of 10 information-gathering satellites in operation.

After the launch of the No. 1 unit of JAXA's new H3 rocket ended in failure in March last year, measures were taken for the H-2A Launch Vehicle No. 47's second-stage engine, which had common parts with the H3 rocket. The Vehicle No. 47 was launched successfully in September last year. The H-2A rocket will retire from service with the final Vehicle No. 50, planned to be launched in fiscal 2024.
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