Japan's space agency launched an experimental communications satellite Feb. 23 designed to enable super high-speed data transmission at home and in Southeast Asia.

The domestically developed H-2A rocket carrying the satellite, "Kizuna," was launched from the southern island of Tanegashima, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA.

Liftoff was delayed by 90 minutes due to winds and because a ship entered waters near the space center. The launch had been postponed by a week due to a mechanical glitch.

The satellite separated from the rocket and entered its intended orbit 283 km from Earth, JAXA said.

The agency said with Kizuna it hoped to enable data transmission of up to 1.2 gigabytes per second at a low cost across Japan and in 19 different places in Southeast Asia. JAXA developed Kizuna with the National Institute of Information and Communication Technology, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.

About 100 experiments will be conducted through the satellite, including a test broadcast of the next generation of high-definition television.

The cost of the development, launch and operation of the satellite is estimated at ¥52 billion, JAXA spokeswoman Asaka Hagiwara said.

Japan has yet to join the lucrative international satellite market, and Kizuna — which should be in operation for five years — is not intended for commercial use.

Its H-2A rocket is one of the most advanced and reliable in the world — Feb. 23's launch was its eighth straight successful launch — though critics say more cost-cutting efforts are needed to achieve profitability.