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Japan successfully launches first military communications satellite
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Japan has successfully launched its first military communications satellite Kirameki-2 (kee-RAH-meh-kee 2) satellite. It was launched on board of H-2A rocket that lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. The satellite separated from the rocket and entered a designated orbit.
Key Facts
The Kirameki-2 satellite has been designed to upgrade Japans existing communication network in the face of Chinas increasingly assertive maritime activity and North Koreas missile threat. It is the first of three satellites that will replace three civilian satellites currently used by Japans military. The new satellites will allow military units to communicate on a high-speed and high-capacity network. These satellites aimed at stepping up Japans emergency response capability in case of natural disaster, Chinas maritime activity from southern Japanese waters to South China Sea, as well as missile threats from North Korea. They will be also used by Japanese troops operating overseas as part of international peacekeeping operations, including those off the Somali coast and in South Sudan.
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