Japan launched a multifunctional satellite with a H-2A rocket on Saturday in the Tanegashima Space Center, southern Kagoshima Prefecture. (Photo: Xinhua/Reuters)

(Photo: Xinhua)

    BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Japan has successfully fired a state-owned satellite into orbit in a key step toward restoring faith in its space program, 15 months after its previous launch attempt ended in failure.

    The rocket blasted off at 6:25 p.m.(0925 GMT), postponed for more than an hour due to a cut-off of communication between the rocket and the control center, said the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

    "The satellite separated from the rocket about 40 minutes after takeoff and is now in its initial orbit," Tsukasa Mito, an executive director at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) told a post-launch news conference.

    This was the first flight of the H-2A rocket since a failure in November 2003.

    The launch was originally scheduled for Thursday, but grounded because of bad weather.

    "At the moment of takeoff, my heart swelled," said Education and Science Minister Nariaki Nakayama, whose ministry oversees JAXA. "When I heard the satellite had separated successfully, I was relieved, but at the same time I thought it was a matter of course."

    The MTSAT-1R multipurpose satellite aboard belongs to the land ministry, the Civil Aviation Bureau and the Japan Meteorological Agency. It provides navigational and meteorological services.

    It is to replace the defuncting Himawari 5 weather satellite. Japan has been relying on the US weather satellite GOES-9 since May 2003 to provide visual images for weather forecasts.

    As the backbone carrier in Japan's space program, the H-2A is capable of sending a maximum payload of 6 tons to the geostationary orbit or 10 tons to the low earth orbit. After two test launches in August 2001 and February 2002, the rocket formally came into performance in the third launch.

    However, in the sixth flight on Nov. 29, 2003, the H-2A was destroyed after its lift-off because the one of the booster failedto separate. A faulty nozzle was later blamed for the setback.

    The unsuccessful mission also led to the loss of two spy satellites aboard. Tokyo wanted to watch what it said as the missile program of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea via the two and another pair already in place.

    
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