L unes 30 de enero 2006. (space.com) Japan's Advanced Land Observing Satellite Daichi launches skyward atop an H-2A rocket on an Earth-watching mission.
The Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency (JAXA) celebrated Daichi’s successful Jan. 23 launch after several subsequent delays thwarted earlier attempts at its Tanegashima Space Center launch site.
But the third time proved the charm, and Daichi (which means “Land” in Japanese) rocketed spaceward atop its H-2A booster. Cameras aboard the H-2A rocket caught stunning views of the booster’s strap-on engines falling Earthward before deploying the satellite into orbit.
The Daichi spacecraft carries a 72-foot long solar array, the largest in Japanese space history. The satellite is slated to observe the Earth for three years, but is designed to serve up to five years, using three primary instruments to build detailed maps from visual, radar and infrared observations.
An artist's interpretation of the Advanced Land Observing Satellite in Earth orbit. Credit: JAXA.