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TANEGASHIMA, Japan (AP) -- A glistening black-and-orange rocket carrying Japan's first spy satellites was moved to its launch pad for a final countdown on this remote island Thursday, as riot police sealed off the area and helicopters patrolled the skies.
The project comes with intense political sensitivities. Neighboring North Korea has called the satellites a "grave threat'' and preparations for the launch, scheduled for early Friday, have been conducted under unprecedented security.
With choppers overhead and Coast Guard ships offshore, hundreds of riot police have set up road blocks three kilometers (two miles) from the launch pad at the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan's primary space launch center.
Officials here have refused to give details about the satellites, and have tried to play down concerns over North Korea's threat that it may retaliate by testing a long-range missile.
The test of a North Korean Taepodong missile -- which flew over Japan's main island and crashed in the Pacific Ocean four years ago -- prompted Tokyo to establish its 250 billion yen (US$2.05 billion) spy satellite program.
"This is certainly a different kind of satellite from what we are used to," Shoshin Sonoda, the chief planner for the program, said in a pre-launch briefing.
Sonoda said the main concern was the weather.
Rain doused the area Thursday evening, and gusty winds whipped up the waves around this small, rocky island about 1,200 kilometers (700 miles) southwest of Tokyo. But Sonoda said plans to launch the two satellites were progressing smoothly and the weather was expected to clear.
With the initial go-ahead issued late Thursday, the 57-meter (170-foot) tall H2-A rocket was hauled from its assembly complex onto the launch pad where it was to boost the two satellites into orbit at 10:27 a.m. Friday (0127 GMT).
Tokyo has traditionally relied on the United States to gather its intelligence on North Korea, and the spy satellites -- two more are planned for future launches -- are intended to give it more independent surveillance capabilities.
Along with concerns over the North's Taepodong missiles, which put virtually all of Japan and the roughly 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in this country within range of North Korean warheads, Tokyo is anxious to monitor North Korea's nuclear weapons development program.
Japanese officials have stressed the satellites are not only for spying on the North, noting they can also be used to monitor major natural disasters both in Japan and abroad and are strictly for "peaceful purposes.''
The spy satellites, which are expected to be in use for about five years, are to orbit earth at a height of from 400 kilometers to 600 kilometers (250 to 370 miles). Able to use both photography and radar, they will be able to provide ground images at night and in bad weather.
North Korea has strongly protested the program and hinted that if Japan goes ahead, it might launch more "satellites'' of its own.
Pyongyang claims the 1998 launch boosted its first satellite into orbit -- though that claim has never been substantiated.
North Korea also claims that Japan's launch of the spy satellites would violate the spirit of a bilateral agreement signed last September, which included a promise to extend a moratorium on long-range missile launches.
Officials here say there are indications that North Korea may be readying another missile for a test launch, though not immediately.
Hajime Ozu, military analyst, said he expects North Korea will retaliate with a missile launch, both to anger Japan and to get the attention of the United States, which Pyongyang sees as its main threat.
"For North Korea, a missile launch means a way to boost patriotism at home and a warning to the United States,'' he said. ``It's one of the few remaining key diplomatic tactics North Korea has."
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