Japan launches Epsilon-3 rocket with payload by private sector

The Japanese space agency successfully launched its small Epsilon-3 rocket from the Uchinoura space center in southern Japan's Kagoshima prefecture this morning. The rocket is carrying a satellite for Earth observation. The ASNARO-2 satellite was developed by the Japanese electronics company NEC and is the first private sector payload to be carried by the small rocket. According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), following the launch at 6:06 am, the rocket put ASNARO-2 into orbit 500 km above the Earth just before 7:00 am local time. The development of Epsilon-3 saw the cost of launches cut in half compared to regular-sized rockets, with each launch costing about $ 36 million, JAXA said. The Japanese space agency hopes that launch costs are increasingly cheaper, and the success of today's mission will lead to the development of economies that look to Japan and the Epsilon-3 rocket for their space-related programs.