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A Japanese satellite carrying laser relay technology was launched into space on Sunday (November 29) on a mission to transfer high-speed data from military and civilian Earth observation spacecraft.
The communications satellite carrying the laser payload flew into orbit at 2:25 am EST (0725 GMT or 16:25 local time) from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan, aboard an H-IIA rocket.
Rocket builder and launch provider Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has announced the successful launch on Twitter, adding that the satellite had separated from the rocket’s upper stage. From there, the satellite will head into geostationary orbit for a 10-year mission. “It has been confirmed that the rocket flew as planned,” MHI said in a statement automatically translated from Japanese.
Unusually, the mission was not broadcast live by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency or JAXA, possibly due to the sensitive nature of laser technology, according to Spaceflight Now. No information has even been provided on its exact orbital track.
Related: Explanation of the Japanese H-IIA and H-IIB rockets
The satellite payload, referred to as the Laser Utilizing Communication System or LUCAS for short, will send data from satellites in low Earth orbit using laser technology, according to a machine-translated version of the Japanese JAXA mission page.
LUCAS will fly in geostationary orbit, which allows it to rotate at the same speed as Earth about 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the equator. It will have a continuous view of the Asia-Pacific area.
From its high altitude, LUCAS will connect with satellites in low earth orbit using a near infrared laser beam. LUCAS’s laser technology sends information at 1.8 gigabytes per second, which is seven times faster than the current standard for sending information via radio waves, JAXA said.
With more Earth observation satellites than ever before thanks to small satellites from private companies leveraging the latest information technology, JAXA said LUCAS will enable “future increases in data throughput and immediacy requirements” in spacecraft in low orbit.
Quickly obtaining information from these satellites is critical to fully exploiting 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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