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TOKYO (AP) - An electrical glitch has knocked out a satellite in a spy network Japan hoped to use to gather intelligence on North Korea and other trouble spots around the world, a Cabinet official said Tuesday.
The failure comes just a month after Japan launched its fourth and final satellite in the network expected to significantly boost its ability to independently gather intelligence and re-establish itself as a major player in Asia's accelerating space race.
The defective satellite, launched in March 2003, appears to have problems with its electrical system and has been unresponsive since Sunday, said Yasuhiro Itakura of the Cabinet's satellite unit. He said efforts to restart the probe have been unsuccessful.
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