Japan's
Advanced Land Observing Satellite Daichi launches skyward atop an H-2A rocket
on an Earth-watching mission.
The Japan
Aerospace and Exploration Agency (JAXA) celebrated Daichi’s successful Jan. 23 launch
after several subsequent delays thwarted earlier attempts at its Tanegashima Space Center launch site.
But the
third time proved the charm, and Daichi (which means “Land” in Japanese) rocketed
spaceward atop its H-2A booster. Cameras aboard the H-2A rocket caught stunning
views
of the booster’s strap-on engines falling Earthward before deploying
the satellite into orbit.
The Daichi spacecraft
carries a 72-foot long solar array, the largest in Japanese space history. The
satellite is slated to observe the Earth for three years, but is designed to
serve up to five years, using three primary instruments to build detailed maps
from visual, radar and infrared observations.
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