Japan launches H2A rocket carrying information-gathering satellite

The 49th H2A rocket has successfully placed a government information-gathering satellite into orbit.  The rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan on Thursday.  The H2A shed its booster rockets and first-stage engine, and placed the satellite into its scheduled orbit.

The satellite can capture images of anywhere on Earth. The satellite uses radar, and is capable of capturing images at night or during poor weather conditions. The model is a successor to a satellite currently in operation. The 50th rocket, scheduled to be launched within this fiscal year, will be the last of the model. It will then be replaced by the H3 rocket.