Japan launches satellite

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STORY: Japan successfully launched a rocket carrying the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2) on Saturday (May 24), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said, its mission will include monitoring natural disasters areas.

The H2A rocket carrying the advanced land observing satellite "Daichi-2" was launched at 12:05 p.m. JST (0305 GMT) from the Tanegashima Island space center in Kagoshima Prefecture, western Japan.

JAXA officials said the 4.5-meter (14.8 feet) high, 2-ton satellite scans the Earth's surface to create an image that would identify a 3-meter (9.8 feet) object, more than tripling the capability of its previous version "Daichi".

Daichi was launched in 2006 and helped observing damages caused by the powerful March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Northern Japan in 2011. It has lost power and ceased communication with the Earth.

The new satellite, equipped with an enhanced radar system will