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A Japanese satellite carrying laser relay technology was launched into space on Sunday, November 29, as part of a high-speed data transfer mission from military and civilian Earth observation spacecraft.
The communications satellite carrying the laser payload climbed into orbit at 2:25 a.m. EST (7:25 a.m. GMT or 4:25 p.m. local time) from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan aboard an H-rocket. IIA.
Rocket maker and launch supplier Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) announced the successful launch on Twitter, adding that the satellite had separated from the upper stage of the rocket. From there, the satellite will head into geostationary orbit for a 10-year mission. “It was confirmed that the rocket flew as planned,” MHI said in a statement automatically translated into Japanese.
Unusually, the mission was not broadcast live from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency or JAXA, possibly due to the sensitive nature of laser technology, according to Spaceflight Now. No information was provided on its exact orbital trajectory either.
Related: Japanese H-IIA and H-IIB rockets explained
The satellite payload, called the Laser Utilizing Communication System or LUCAS, will send data from satellites in low Earth orbit using laser technology, according to an automatically translated version of the JAXA mission page into Japanese.
LUCAS will fly in geostationary orbit, which will allow it to rotate at the same speed as Earth approximately 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the equator. He will have a continuous view of the Asia-Pacific zone.
From its high altitude, LUCAS will connect with satellites in low earth orbit using a near infrared laser beam. LUCAS ‘laser technology sends information at 1.8 gigabytes per second, which is seven times faster than the current standard for sending information over radio waves, JAXA said.
With more Earth observation satellites than ever before due to small satellites from private companies using more advanced computer technology, JAXA said LUCAS would allow “future increases in data transmission capacity and requirements for immediacy “in spacecraft in low earth orbit.
Getting information quickly from these satellites is imperative to take full advantage of their applications, which include monitoring the Earth for global warming and assisting in disaster response after catastrophic events such as hurricanes.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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