Japan on Saturday launched the third of four satellites in its plan to create a homegrown geolocation system aimed at improving the accuracy of car navigat
Japan on Saturday launched the third of four satellites in its plan to create a homegrown geolocation system aimed at improving the accuracy of car navigation systems and smartphone maps to mere centimeters.
According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) , an H-IIA rocket carrying the satellite blasted off from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at about 2: 30 p.m. The Michibiki No. 3 satellite was released about 30 minutes later.
“The rocket flew as planned, and we confirmed that the Michibiki No. 3 was released with no abnormalities 28 minutes and 37 seconds after launch, ” a JAXA statement said.
The launch was supposed to take place last week but got postponed by a technical glitch.
Satellite geolocation systems, initially designed for the U.
