Posted: Sun, Feb 1, 2015, 9:09 AM ET (1409 GMT)
A Japanese H-2A rocket launched a spare reconnaissance satellite Sunday. The H-2A lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center at 8:21 pm EST Saturday (0121 GMT, 10:21 am local time Sunday) and placed an Information Gathering Satellite (IGS) into orbit. The spacecraft will serve as an on-orbit spare for the existing family of radar IGS spacecraft. The launch was scheduled for Thursday but postponed by poor weather as the launch site.

Related Links:

•  NASASpaceFlight.com article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  Jiji Press article
•  AFP article
•  JAXA press release (in Japanese)