jasdooit

TOKYO – Japan’s space organization plans to launch a satellite in February, aiming to establish a reliable domestic geolocation system similar to the U.S. Global Positioning System.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. announced on Monday that the Michibiki No. 7 satellite is scheduled to be launched aboard an H3 rocket from Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture on February 1.

Alongside another satellite set for launch on December 7, it will finalize Japan’s seven-orbiter positioning system, known as the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System.

It is essential for a nation to possess its own geographic positioning system in order to ensure continuous services without depending on satellites from other countries.

With seven satellites in space, Japan will always have at least four functioning above its territory. The organization aims to eventually deploy 11 geolocation satellites circling the globe to ensure the system remains operational even if some encounter issues.

The seventh Michibiki satellite, produced by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, has a weight of approximately 4.9 tons and measures roughly 19 meters in width once its solar panels are extended.

Beginning approximately 2029, location inaccuracies on mobile phones and vehicle navigation systems in Japan are expected to be reduced to roughly 1.6 meters, down from the current range of 5 to 10 meters, according to officials, due to improved technology installed on newer satellites.