Japan’s Kyodo news agency says Japan has successfully placed into orbit a spy satellite to monitor North Korea.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said Monday that a rocket carrying the satellite was launched at 1:35 p.m. from southern Kagoshima prefecture.

Equipped with a highly efficient digital camera and long-distance lens, the satellite will monitor North Korean military facilities as well as weather and natural disasters around Japan.

Tokyo plans to launch another spy satellite early next year to better monitor the region.