Japan launches 'affordable' Epsilon space rocket

Japan has launched the first in a new
generation of space rockets, hoping the
design will make missions more affordable.
The Epsilon rocket is about half the size of
Japan's previous generation of space vehicles,
and uses artificial intelligence to perform
safety checks.
Japan's space agency Jaxa says the Epsilon cost
$37m (£23m) to develop, half the cost of its
predecessor.
Epsilon launched from south-western Japan in
the early afternoon.
Crowds of Japanese gathered to watch the
launch, which was also broadcast on the
internet.
It was carrying a telescope that is being billed
by Jaxa as the world's first space telescope that
will remotely observe planets including Venus,
Mars and Jupiter from its Earth orbit.
Jaxa said the rocket successfully released the
Sprint-A telescope as scheduled, about
1,000km (620 miles) above the Earth's surface.
Epsilon's predecessor, the M-5, was retired in
2006 because of spiralling costs.
Jaxa said the Epsilon was not only cheaper to
produce, but also cheaper to launch than the
M-5.
Because of its artificial intelligence, the new
rocket needs only eight people at the launch
site, compared with 150 people for earlier
launches.
Japan's other recent space innovations
included sending a talking robot to the
International Space Station.