Japan on Saturday launched the third satellite in its effort to build a home-grown geolocation system aimed at improving the accuracy of car navigation systems and smartphone maps to mere centimetres.
An H-IIA rocket blasted off at about 2.30pm local time from the Tanegashima space centre in southern Japan, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The rocket successfully released the Michibiki No. 3 satellite about 30 minutes after launch.
The launch was initially scheduled last week but was postponed because of a technical glitch.
Satellite geolocation systems, initially designed for the US military, now power countless civilian applications, from car navigation to internet browsing on mobile phones.
Japan relies on the US-operated Global Positioning System (GPS). Saturday’s launch was part of a broader plan to build a domestic version with four satellites focusing on the country and wider region.