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JAPAN NEWS-YOMIURI
The Epsilon-4 rocket blasted off from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kimotsuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Jan. 18.
The Epsilon-4 rocket carrying seven satellites launched successfully from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kimotsuki, Kagoshima Prefecture.
One of the satellites sent to space by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will conduct experiments on creating artificial meteors in 2020.
The Jan. 18 launch was the first for an Epsilon-model solid-fuel rocket since January 2018.
The 85-foot launch vehicle lifted off at 9:50 a.m. and all satellites were released as planned.
The satellite dealing with artificial meteors is developed by a Tokyo-based space technology- related start-up called ALE Co.
The microsatellite measures 60-by-60-by-80-centimeters and contains 400 special balls each 1 centimeter in diameter for creating meteors.
In spring of 2020, about 20 of these balls are scheduled to be released from the satellite at an altitude about 250 miles above the Earth.
Upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere, the balls will burn up, emitting a flash of light that will resemble shooting stars.
The artificial meteor show will be observable in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, mainly in the Setouchi area.
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