TOKYO, Feb. 24 — Japan launched its fourth spy satellite into orbit on Saturday, increasing its ability to independently gather intelligence.
An H-2A rocket carrying the satellite lifted off from a base on the southern island of Tanegashima at 1:41 p.m., the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said. The fourth satellite will allow Japan to monitor any point on Earth once a day.
Japan, which has traditionally relied on the United States for intelligence, initiated the spy satellite program after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan in 1998. In addition to anxiety over North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs, Japan also expressed concern after China shot down a satellite last month with a ballistic missile.
Although Japanese officials have stressed the importance of increasing Japan’s independent intelligence gathering capacity, critics have said the current satellites will provide images that are far less sharp than those captured by American satellites or even commercial satellites.
source: 25feb2007
TOKYO — The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has successfully launched a reconnaissance satellite and an experimental model of a spacecraft with optic equipment.
The satellite has joined a group of earlier launched craft, completing thee creation of the Japanese space reconnaissance system.
Tokyo gets a possibility to observe and take pictures of objects with a resolution of one square meter at any point of the globe once a day, and thus decreases its dependence on the US in space reconnaissance.
Japan’s orbital group is intended for observation of North Korea.
The experimental optic satellite is intended to testing systems that will be installed later.
It is expected that in the future Japan’s spy satellites will discriminate objects sized 50 centimetres.
The first optic reconnaissance satellite and the radar monitoring craft were launched by Japan in March 2003.
In November of the same year, an attempt to deliver into orbit another coupe of spy satellites failed.
A rocket veered off course after the launch and was destroyed on the command from the ground.
Damage was about one billion dollars.
Japan launched the third (optic) satellite in September 2006.
JAXA planned launching the H-2A rocket on February 15, but postponed the launch because of bad weather conditions.
Next year rights to design and launch H-2A will go to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
source: 25feb2007
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