Posted: Sat, Sep 23, 2006, 10:40 AM ET (1440 GMT)
A Japanese rocket launched a science satellite Saturday carrying instruments from several countries devoted to studying the Sun. The M-5 rocket launched from the Uchinoura Space Center in southern Japan at 5:36 pm EDT Friday (2136 GMT Friday, 6:36 am Saturday local time) and placed the Solar-B satellite into a Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit. Solar-B is carrying several instruments from Japan, Europe, and the US to study the Sun and its magnetic fields. The launch is the last for the M-5, which is being retired in favor of a less expensive design based on the solid rocket boosters used by the larger H-2A rocket.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now article
•  New Scientist article
•  NasaSpaceFlight.com article
•  Reuters article
•  AP article