H-2A

The first in a new line of powerful dual-band satellites for Inmarsat’s communications network linking ships, airplanes, and other mobile customers successfully launched Wednesday aboard a Japanese H-2A rocket.

A Japanese H-2A rocket launched a commercial communications satellite for Inmarsat Wednesday. The satellite rode the most powerful variant of the H-2A rocket, built and operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Liftoff occurred at 10:32 a.m. EST (1532 GMT).

A replacement for an aging satellite in Japan’s regional navigation network successfully launched Monday from Tanegashima Space Center aboard an H-2A rocket, heading to an orbit more than 20,000 miles above Earth.

A Japanese H-2A rocket blasted off at 10:19 p.m. EDT Monday (0219 GMT Tuesday) with a fresh satellite for the country’s independent regional space-based navigation system.

Japan is set to launch a replacement satellite Monday for a navigation spacecraft that has been in space since 2010, augmenting the U.S. military’s GPS network to provide more precise positioning and timing services over the Asia-Pacific region.

The launch of a solid-fueled Japanese Epsilon rocket with nine small satellites, originally scheduled to blastoff last week, has been grounded until after the flight of a larger H-2A launcher later this month, Japan’s space agency said Friday.