Japan launches satellite to explore sun

TOKYO, Sep 23 (Reuters) Japan launched an observation satellite today on a joint mission with the United States and Britain to explore the sun.

Led by Japan's space agency JAXA, the Solar-B mission was launched to improve scientists' understanding of solar flares and eruptions that can have devastating effects on satellite systems.

The 900-kg satellite was launched from Kagoshima, southern Japan, and was headed for a north-south orbit around the earth pointing continuously at the sun.

''In this modern world, we can't separate communication, broadcast and weather satellites from our life,'' said Takeo Kosugi, Solar-B project manager at JAXA.

''So it is becoming very important to protect satellites from solar eruptions,'' he said.

Solar-B is Japan's third solar observation satellite after launches in 1981 and 1991. It will begin full-scale observations around late November.

REUTERS BDP RN0859