Japan launches spy satellite to watch N Korea

TOKYO: Japan successfully put into orbit its third satellite to monitor North Korea on Monday, its first launch of a spy craft since an embarrassing failure in 2003.

The H-2A satellite can zoom in on objects on the ground as small as cars. With the third satellite, Japan will be able to spy on any spot in the world, officials said.

The launch came two months after North Korea angered Japan by test-firing seven missiles and amid new concern that the communist state may be planning to test a nuclear bomb.

The rocket carrying the H-2A satellite was launched at 1:35 pm from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Kagoshima prefecture, a space agency spokeswoman said.

"The satellite got into the orbit about 16 minutes after liftoff," she said. "The launch was successful."

Outgoing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who has promoted closer military ties with Washington due to concerns over North Korea, welcomed the successful launch.

"I hope Japan as an advanced nation in space technology will continue making progress in development in this area," Koizumi said on a visit to Finland.

Tokyo drafted the plan to launch four spy satellites - two of them optical and other two radars - after North Korea shocked the world in 1998 by test-firing a long-range Taepodong-1 missile over Japan.

The first pair was successfully sent into space in March 2003. But in November that year, Japan had to destroy a third spy satellite 10 minutes after liftoff.