Japan launches global rainfall monitoring satellite

Japan launched a rocket early Friday with a global precipitation monitoring satellite developed by US and Japanese agencies on board, authorities said.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the rocket, H-2A launch vehicle, was lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, reported Xinhua.

The satellite, which is 6.5 metres in height and four tonnes in weight, is designed to forecast abnormal weather conditions such as deluge and drought by monitoring rain clouds and precipitation.

The rocket also carried seven small satellites developed by Japanese universities, including Shinshu Univeristy's unit for telecommunications experiments using LED light and Kagoshima University's vapour measuring unit, according to reports.