Japan launches high-speed Internet satellite
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Tokyo, Feb 23, IRNA
Japan-Telecom Satellite
Japan's space agency launched an experimental telecom satellite Saturday designed to enable super high-speed Internet at home and in Southeast Asia.
Kizuna, was launched Saturday evening from the southern island of Tanegashima, according to a live Internet broadcast by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA.
The satellite, equipped with two large multi-beam antennas, separated from the rocket and successfully entered its intended orbit 283 km (175 miles) from Earth, JAXA said in a statement.
It will be moved to its stationary orbit in about 20 days.
The agency said with Kizuna it hoped to enable data transmission of up to 1.2 gigabytes per second at a low cost across Japan and in 19 different places in Southeast Asia.
JAXA developed Kizuna with another government agency, the National Institute of Information and Communication Technology, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
About 100 experiments will be conducted through the satellite, including a test broadcast of the next generation of high-definition television.
Japan has yet to join the lucrative international satellite market, and Kizuna -- which should be in operation for five years -- is not intended for commercial use.
Japan launched its first satellite in 1970 and has achieved several major scientific coups in space -- including launching a probe that collected samples from an asteroid.
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