Posted: Fri, Dec 4, 2020, 10:20 AM ET (1520 GMT)
Japan launched a data relay satellite Sunday. An H-2A rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center at 2:25 am EST (0725 GMT) and placed the Japan Data Relay System (JDRS) 1 satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. The satellite will relay optical and radar imagery from Japanese reconnaissance satellites to the ground, and is equipped with a laser communications system. Future Japanese Earth science satellites will also use JDRS-1 to relay data to the ground.
