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Japan on Friday successfully launched a rocket with a payload of an intelligence-gathering satellite to improve its abilities to monitor North Korea and natural disasters, as several Asian nations seek to put spy orbitals into space.
The H2A rocket launched from the Tanegashima Space Center located on the southern Tanegashima Island at 1:44 p.m. local time Friday.
"The rocket fle by Darryl Coote
Washington DC (UPI) Jan 12, 2024
Japan on Friday successfully launched a rocket with a payload of an intelligence-gathering satellite to improve its abilities to monitor North Korea and natural disasters, as several Asian nations seek to put spy orbitals into space.
The H2A rocket launched from the Tanegashima Space Center located on the southern Tanegashima Island at 1:44 p.m. local time Friday.
"The rocket flew as planned and confirmed that the intelligence-gathering satellite optical unit 8 was successfully separated," Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the maker of the H2A rocket, said in a statement.
On social media platform X, Mitsubishi Heavy said it was a "really beautiful launch."
The launch comes after North Korea officially began its own spy satellite program last year when it claimed to have put one into orbit in November following failed efforts in May and August.
It also comes on the heels of China launching its own spy satellite on Tuesday, and South Korea putting its first ever into space early last month.
Late last month, North Korea also said it plans to launch more satellites throughout 2024.
According to state-run broadcaster NHK, the Japanese satellite is capable of capturing images of anywhere on Earth.
Friday's mission was the 48th launch of Japan's H2A rocket, which first went into operation in 2001. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was transferred launch service operations from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in 2007, the company said.
Japan initiated its reconnaissance satellite program after North Korea launched a Taepo Dong missile over the Asian archipelago country in August of 1998.
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