What Happened
Bilateral Space Cooperation Expands With Second Sensor Launch
Japan has successfully launched the second of two US Space Force orbital neighborhood watch sensors on a Japanese satellite, marking a significant milestone in the first bilateral US-Japan cooperative space effort focused on national security. The sensor, designed and built by MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, will keep watch on the heavens above the Indo-Pacific region. The Japanese satellite, Quasi-Zenith Satellite-7, was launched on an H-3 launch vehicle from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. The launch was part of a package of agreements aimed at improving cooperation with Japan on space situational awareness, as reported by Breaking Defense.