* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Japan's Information Gathering Satellite

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The H-2A rocket carrying the radar satellite is set to lift off between 04:41 - 04:51 GMT, from the southern Kagoshima Prefecture after a delay of one day due to bad weather.

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Credit AP

Japan is set to launch Thursday its fourth and final spy satellite in a system that will cover every point on Earth at least once a day.
The fourth satellite, plus an experimental optical satellite, will be carried aboard an H-IIA lifting off from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima Prefecture. After achieving orbit, it will circle Earth at an altitude of 400-600 kilometres, passing over the north and south poles.

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Weather:
11 °C
Partly Cloudy
Wind Speed: 44 km/h

-- Edited by Blobrana at 05:07, 2007-02-15

Blobrana · L

According to JAXA, there will be no live launch video or images.

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Blobrana · L

A Japanese H-2A rocket is to launch the Information Gathering Satellite (IGS) radar reconnaissance spy spacecraft from the Tanegashima Launch site, Japan, at 03:00 - 06:00 GMT, February 16th, 2007.

Blobrana · L

Japan is to launch a radar spy satellite (IGS) on 15 February next year aboard a H-2A rocket from the Tanegashima launch site, Japan, that will complete its four-satellite system for intelligence gathering with full global coverage.