VOA新闻杂志2025--Japan Launches New Satellite to Improve Navigation System

Japan's space agency says it successfully launched a navigation satellite on its new H3 rocket. The latest launch on February 2 took place as the country aims to develop a more precise positioning system.

The H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki 6 satellite lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on a southwestern Japanese island.

Makoto Arita oversees¹ the H3 project for the Japan Aerospace² Exploration Agency known as JAXA. Arita said everything went smoothly³ and the satellite successfully separated from the rocket as planned about 29 minutes after liftoff.

Officials said it should reach its target orbit around Earth in the middle of February.

Japan's current system is called the quasi-zenith satellite system, or QZSS. It started operating in 2018 and has four satellites that serve a regional navigation system. The Michibiki 6 will be the fifth satellite in the network.

Michibiki's signals are used to supplement the American satellite system called the Global Positioning System (GPS). It will also improve positioning data for smartphones, car navigation, navigation at sea and drones.

Japan plans to launch two more navigation satellites to have a seven-satellite system by March 2026. The Japan Science and Technology Agency hopes that will create a more precise global positioning ability without depending on foreign services, including GPS. By the late 2030s, Japan plans to have an 11-satellite network.

First launch not successful

Sunday's launch was the fourth successful flight in a row for the H3 system. The first attempt to launch last year failed and the rocket had to be destroyed with its payload.

Japan considers the ability to regularly put satellites into orbit as important to its space program and national security. It has been developing two new leading rockets. One is the large H3 from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The other is a much smaller Epsilon system with the aerospace unit of IHI corporation. Japan hopes to meet the needs of companies for space launch services and improve its position in the growing satellite launch market.

I'm Jill Robbins.

Mari Yamaguchi reported this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English.

______________________________________________

Words in This Story

navigation - n. the act, activity, or process of finding the way to get to a place when you are traveling in a ship, airplane or car

precise -adj. exactly placed; exactly where something is supposed to be

quasi - prefix⁴ almost, nearly

zenith - n. to point in the sky directly above your head

drone - n. a small aircraft that flies without a pilot and is controlled from the ground

supplement - v. to provide additional support

payload - n. anything that someone is paying to have transported by a vehicle such as an airplane or rocket

1 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

2 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

3 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

4 prefix   

n.前缀；vt.加…作为前缀；置于前面

参考例句：

• We prefix "Mr."to a man's name.我们在男士的姓名前加“先生”。
• In the word "unimportant ","un-" is a prefix.在单词“unimportant”中“un”是前缀。