Space
After Many Delays, Japan Launches Defense Satellite on New H3 Rocket
A "H3" rocket launches from the Tanegashima Space Center of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, in Minami-Tane Town, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Nov. 4.
Photographer: Yomiuri Shimbun/AP Images
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TOKYO (AP) — Japan launched a defense satellite Monday aimed at speedier military operations and communication on a new flagship H3 rocket and successfully placed it into orbit, as the country seeks to build up its military capability amid growing tension in the region.
The East Asian country is accelerating its military buildup under a 2022 security strategy that calls for Japanese troops to play a greater role in regional defense amid rising tension from China, North Korea and Russia.