TOKYO– Japan’s space agency has launched an H-2A rocket carrying an earth observation satellite that can help survey areas hit by disasters.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said the rocket lifted off at 12:05 PM on Saturday(May 24th) from Tanegashima Space Center, southwestern Japan.
The 24th version of the H-2A rocket will release the satellite “Daichi-2” into orbit about 16 minutes after the launch.
The satellite is a successor to Daichi, which took photographs of areas hit by the March 2011 disaster in northeastern Japan, helping efforts to rebuild the areas.
The new satellite can detect objects as small as 3 meters on the earth’s surface, an improvement from the 10-meter capability of its predecessor.
It is also equipped with a radar system that can take images at night and in bad weather. –QNA