H-2a Rocket Launches Jaxa's Ibuki Satellite

摘要

A Japanese environmental satellite and seven small piggyback payloads were launched Jan. 23 aboard an H-2A rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center, according to the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite, dubbed Ibuki, was the rocket's primary payload. It was deployed about 16 minutes after liftoff. Equipped with a greenhouse gas sensor and a separate cloud and aerosol sensor, Ibuki is designed to study the concentration and distribution of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Of the seven piggyback payloads launched along with Ibuki, four were university-sponsored satellites, two were from private companies and one was from JAXA.