The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency said Friday that it will delay the launch of a H-2A rocket carrying a spy satellite originally scheduled on Friday afternoon, due to unfavorable weather.

The launch of the radar satellite from Tanegashima Space Center in south Japan's Kagoshima prefecture was aimed to complete the country's four-satellite system for intelligence gathering with full global coverage.

Once in orbit, the satellite, together with the other three, would be able to take pictures on any point of the earth surface at least once a day, according to media reports.

The H-2A rocket was also to carry into space an experimental optical satellite for testing the functions of apparatus to be used to assemble a spy satellite scheduled for launch in the future.

The radar satellite to be launched can automatically transmit signals and synthesize black and white images. it is capable of a resolution of several meters. It will be running in an orbit some 400-600 kilometers from the earth, media reports said.

According to Kyodo News, it has cost Tokyo about 30 billion yen (250 million U.S. dollars) to develop the radar satellite.

Japan launched the first pair of satellites successfully in March 2003, but failed to launch a second set due to rocket problems later that year. The optical satellite of the second pair was successfully launched in September 2006.

Source: Xinhua