Japan plans to launch two information- gathering satellites with H-2A rocket in July and early next year respectively to form an always-on space-based surveillance system, local media reported Monday.

The two new spy satellites will join two others already in orbit and will be able to photograph any location in the world at least once every 24 hours, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said, quoting unnamed government sources.

Since several years ago, Japan has planned to set up a space- based observation system with two optical and two radar-sounding satellites. However, due to a failed deployment of the second pair in 2003, there are only one pair of satellites in orbit at present.

Japan will launch the new pair separately, the report said, with the optical one in July 2006 and the radar-sounding one in January or February 2007. Earlier media reports said that the government has allotted a budget of 61 billion yen (535 million U. S. dollars) for the launch and maintenance of the two new spy satellites.

Japan is also researching next generation satellites to upgrade image resolution, Yomiuri said, with plans to launch upgraded versions of an optical satellite in 2009 and a radar-sounding one in 2011 to replace those in orbit.

Source: Xinhua