Posted: Sun, Jan 29, 2023, 10:00 AM ET (1500 GMT)
Japan launched a military reconnaissance satellite Wednesday night. The H-2A rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center at 8:49 pm EST (0149 GMT Thursday) carrying the IGS Radar 7 satellite. The spacecraft is the latest in a series of radar mapping satellites used by Japan's military to monitor North Korea as well as for civilian disaster response. With this launch, only four more H-2A launches are planned before the vehicle is retired. It will be replaced by the H3 rocket, slated to perform its first launch next month.

Related Links:

•  NASASpaceFlight.com article
•  Space.com article
•  AP article