Japan Launches Satellite to Monitor N Korean Military Facilities

Japan launched a satellite yesterday to monitor North Korean military facilities on a day when US President Trump and NK leader Kim Jong-un met in Singapore to reduce tensions.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAEA) on Tuesday launched a H-IIA rocket carrying an intelligence-gathering satellite from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyodo News reported.

The reconnaissance satellites will be used for such purposes as monitoring military facilities in North Korea and taking images of areas affected during natural disasters.

JAEA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. launched the H-IIA F39 rocket from the agency’s launch site on the island in southwestern Japan.

The government operates four radar satellites, which capture radio waves reflected from the ground, and two optical satellites, which take photos of the ground.

North Korean missiles overflew Japan without warning earlier this year triggering missile alarms. Tokyo has always been concerned about Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear prowess.