Japan Launches Epsilon-2 Rocket

Japan's space agency has successfully launched the second version of its Epsilon small rocket, Japan's NHK World reported.

    The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, launched the rocket from the Uchinoura Space Center in the southern prefecture of Kagoshima. About 13 minutes after liftoff, the Epsilon-2 released a satellite into orbit at an altitude of around 500 kilometers. 

    The satellite's purpose is to survey the radiation that surrounds the Earth. JAXA has been developing the Epsilon in cooperation with the Japanese firm IHI Aerospace. The rocket is designed to launch small satellites weighing several hundred kilograms at low cost. 

    The first Epsilon was successfully launched in 2013. Engineers have since improved the rocket's second-stage engine and boosted its payload capacity by 30 percent.

    JAXA officials said launching the Epsilon-2 cost about 42 million dollars, more than 30% cheaper than the small rocket that preceded the Epsilon.

    The officials are hoping that the success of the improved Epsilon will help win contracts from overseas clients to launch small satellites. The demand for this type of space service is expected to increase, especially among emerging economies.

Source: QNA