Japan’s space agency has named an X-ray astronomy satellite that was successfully launched into space Wednesday the Hitomi (Eye), with scientists hoping the new equipment will help their quest to observe distant black holes and galaxies.
The satellite, also called the Astro-H, was put into space on an H-IIA rocket that lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture.
The two-stage booster lifted off at 5:45 p.m., delivering the Astro-H satellite about 15 minutes later into orbit, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.