Japan's H-IIA rocket blasts off Feb. 26 from the Tanegashima Space Center off the coast of Kagoshima Prefecture.

The 53-meter-tall rocket, with the word "Nippon" emblazoned on its side, lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center off the coast of Kagoshima Prefecture.

Forty minutes after the launch, the rocket placed a multipurpose weather and navigation satellite into orbit.

The space agency had counted on a successful launch to help revive the reputation of the H-IIA, which serves as the centerpiece of the country's space program, and to demonstrate that Japan remains a viable contender in an increasingly heated space race with China.

All H-IIA launches had been put on hold following a humiliating failure minutes after liftoff in November 2003. Controllers had to destroy that rocket and its payload of two spy satellites in midair after a booster failed to detach.

The Japan Times Weekly: March 5, 2005
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