TOKYO (Kyodo) — The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. on Sunday launched an information-gathering radar satellite and an optical satellite using an H-2A rocket.
The rocket lifted off at 1:40 p.m. from JAXA’s Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, and successfully placed the satellites in orbit, the agency said. It was the 16th consecutive successful launch of an H-2A rocket, the agency said.
Once the radar satellite commences full operation in April, Japan will have two radar satellites and two optical satellites in operation, enabling it to observe any point on the ground at least once a day.
The radar satellite launched Sunday is capable of detecting objects as small as 1 meter on the ground even at night and through cloud cover, while the optical satellite is designed to demonstrate higher resolution shooting technology.
The optical satellite is reportedly able to distinguish objects on the ground as small as about 40 centimeters, like U.S. commercial satellites.
The development costs of the newly launched radar satellite totaled 24.3 billion yen and those of the optical satellite totaled 11.8 billion yen, while the cost of the H-2A rocket was 10.9 billion yen.
The introduction of the de facto intelligence satellites was decided after North Korea launched a missile in 1998. Information regarding their orbits and detailed specifications as well as obtained data have not been released.
Following the successful launch, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a comment stating that the satellites will ensure national security and aid crisis management.
Kyodo Press