From a remote island in southern Japan, a rocket climbed skyward in January carrying the latest chapter in a story that began when a North Korean missile crossed Japanese skies in 1998. The H2A rocket's 48th successful flight delivered an optical reconnaissance satellite into orbit, joining a growing constellation of watchers above a region where trust is scarce and the stakes are high. What unfolds above Asia now reflects something older than technology — the ancient human need to see what lies beyond the horizon before it arrives at your door.
Japan launches intelligence satellite amid regional space race with North Korea, China
Science & Space