Japan plans to resume the use of its domestically made H-IIA rocket around February and launch a new multifunctional transport satellite, the first H-IIA mission since the previous launch ended in failure in November last year, government officials said Wednesday.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the government's Space Activities Commission approved Wednesday its plan to "prepare for the launch of the Multifunctional Transport Satellite 1 Replacement in the winter launch season of fiscal 2004" by using the H-IIA rocket.
The multifunctional satellite, to replace the aging Himawari 5 weather observation satellite that has ceased functioning, will cover weather observation and air traffic control over vast areas of Asia and the Pacific.
Japan has been relying on the U.S. satellite GOES-9 since May last year to provide visual images for weather forecasts in place of the Himawari 5.
The governmental commission under the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry recently approved the use of a redesigned booster for the H-IIA, which was developed by the agency, paving the way for resumed launches.