TOKYO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Japan on Monday successfully launched the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 (ALOS-4) using the H3 rocket, said Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), marking the first successful satellite launch by the new generation rocket.
At 3:06:42 GMT, the vehicle took off from the Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima. About 16 minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff, it separated from the satellite, which then entered a sun-synchronous quasi-recurrent orbit at an altitude of about 620 kilometers.
This successful deployment was confirmed via telemetry data received from ALOS-4 at JAXA's Mingenew Station in Australia on the same day, while the Santiago Station in Chile confirmed that the satellite is now in nominal condition with Sun Acquisition Mode, according to JAXA.
Also known as "DAICHI-4," the ALOS-4 is a radar satellite that succeeds the ALOS-2. It offers significant improvements, including a three-meter resolution with an increased observation width from 50 km to 200 km.
This enhanced capability allows it to observe the entire Japanese archipelago up to 20 times a year, a substantial increase from the four times achievable by its predecessor.
ALOS-4 will be instrumental in disaster observation and monitoring crustal movements, aiming to detect early signs of natural disasters such as volcanic activity, ground subsidence, and landslides.
Moreover, the satellite will play a crucial role in managing forest resources, conducting marine and climate research, and supporting various environmental monitoring tasks.
Japan initially planned to launch the ALOS-3 satellite in 2023. However, the failure of the H3 rocket's first test flight resulted in the satellite's destruction. A subsequent attempt in February 2024 with the H3 rocket's second test flight was successful but only carried a mock satellite and two ultra-small satellites for safety reasons.
The H3 rocket is set to replace the H2A rocket, which has been in service since 2001 and is scheduled for retirement by the end of the 2024 fiscal year. From the 2025 fiscal year, Japan plans to fully transition to the H3 rocket, which boasts higher payload capacity and lower launch costs.
The Japanese government is optimistic that the H3 rocket will enhance its competitiveness in the global commercial satellite launch market. ■
