Japan launches surveillance satellite to monitor N.Korea

Tokyo, June 12 (IANS) Japan on Tuesday launched a surveillance satellite to monitor North Korea's military installations and take pictures of areas affected by natural disasters.

According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the radar satellite was launched using an H-2A rocket from the space centre in Tanegashima, Kagoshima prefecture, reports Efe news.

The agency confirmed that the rocket flew as planned and the data collection satellite separated correctly.

Radar satellites capture radio waves reflected from the ground and are capable of taking images even at night and without being affected by extreme weather conditions.

The Japanese government now has four of this kind in orbit as well as two optical reconnaissance satellites.