Japanese satellite monitors greenhouse gas

Japan fired the world’s first greenhouse gas-monitoring satellite into space today, a launch deemed crucial in the country’s quest to compete globally in putting commercial satellites into orbit.

The black, white and orange H2A rocket took off from the space centre on Tanegashima, a remote island in southern Japan. The launch – the 15th for an H2A - had been delayed for several days because of bad weather.

Aboard the rocket was the world’s first greenhouse-gas monitoring satellite called Ibuki, which means breath, and seven “baby satellites” – one developed by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency – JAXA – and six created by university research centres and private industry.

A successful launch was seen as crucial to Japan, which is trying to demonstrate that it has the capabilities with its domestically-developed H2A rocket to compete in the global commercial launching business.

Japan has long been one of the world’s leading spacefaring nations and launched its first satellite in 1970. But it has been struggling to get out from under China’s shadow in recent years and gain a niche in the global rocket-launching business, which is dominated by Russia, the US and Europe’s Arianespace.