ASNARO-2 (Advanced Satellite with New system ARchitecture for Observation) is an advanced small X-band radar satellite for Earth observation for Japan. Satellite weighs about 495 kg and is to operate in sun-synchronous orbit.
The Uchinoura Space Center is a space launch facility in the Japanese town of Kimotsuki, Kagoshima Prefecture. All of Japan's scientific satellites were launched from Uchinoura prior to the M-V launch vehicles being decommissioned in 2006. It continues to be used for suborbital launches, stratospheric balloons and has also been used for the Epsilon orbital launch vehicle. Additionally, the center has antennas for communication with interplanetary space probes.
