Is there coverage available of the launch? It is a around 8:30 EDT tonight, and I would like to watch. Does anyone know how to tune in the Japanese launches? I've checked the JAXA page, and it has no mention of the launch.
To expand on that, there's no mentioning of the launch by JAXA because it's not quite related to JAXA: the payload's a spysat! Specifically, the payload is the third operational radar satellite of the [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Gathering_Satellite"]IGS series[/ame], Japan's own spysat constellation.
With the loss of the latest radar satellite (launched in 2007) in August 2010, Japan's defense administration has been left in the dark (pun intended) about what their neighbors (North Korea, China etc.) are doing. This launch will re-enable Japan's all-weather ability to monitor the situation of the Asia-Pacific region.
The launch is scheduled for 01:21 UTC tomorrow, with the launch window being 14 minutes long.
