TANEGASHIMA, Japan - A Japanese H-IIA launch vehicle has carried an Information Gathering Satellite (IGS) into orbit. The launch vehicle lifted off on March 26 at 10:21 a.m. JST (March 25 at 9:21 p.m. EDT) from the Tanegashima launch center in Japan.
Japanese IGS spacecraft are used for military reconnaissance. The program was initiated after North Korea began testing ballistic missiles in the late 1990s. Deliveries into orbit began in 2003. Since that time, there have been 14 total satellite deliveries, including the March 26 launch. That satellite was designated Optical 5, since it carries an electro-optical sensor. Japan keeps details of the satellite network classified; however, it is known that the Optical-5 is part of the third generation of IGS spacecraft.
The H-IIA, built and operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), flew in its 202 configuration, which includes two side boosters rather than four. This was the second H-II launch in 2015 and the fourth launch in the past six months. That represents the fasted launch rate during the H-II's lifespan. Another H-II launch is scheduled for August of this year. The larger H-IIB variant will carry the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) to the International Space Station.
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