Saturday, November 29, 2003
Japan destroys spy satellites shortly after take-off
Agence France-Presse Tokyo, November 29
Japan aborted the launch of a second pair of spy satellites to monitor North Korea shortly after take-off on Saturday, a project spokesman said.
"Shortly after the launch, we sent a destroy order to the rocket as we concluded that the mission cannot fulfil the purpose," said Shoko Yamamoto, a spokesman for the satellite launch project.
"We cannot tell further details, but at least we can say this mission ended in failure," Yamamoto said.
A Japanese H-2A rocket carrying the two spy satellites had lifted off at 1:33 local time on Saturday from a launch site on the southern island of Tanegashima some 1,000 km southwest of Tokyo, said officials of the governmental Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Tanegashima Space Centre.
© Hindustan Times Ltd. 2003.