Japan on Saturday launched an information gathering satellite from the nation's Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture.
The JAXA, Japan's national space agency, launched the satellite on the 16th Japan-built H2A rocket at 10:21 a.m. local time.
The intelligence satellite will reportedly be used to improve monitoring activity on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and
watch for missile tests and military movements by the nation.
The satellite will be equipped with digital cameras that are able to identify objects that are around 60 cm in size from space.
The information gathering satellite is the third of its kind to be launched, and cost around 550 million dollars to produce.