TOKYO, March 24-- Japan will launch an information- gathering satellite (IGS) with an optical reconnaissance payload on an H-2A rocket on Thursday, said Japan's space agency and the commercial operator of the H-2A rocket on Tuesday.

According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., the H-2A Launch Vehicle No. 28 is scheduled to launch the spy satellite at 10:21 a.m. (0121 GMT) on Thursday from JAXA's Tanegashima Space Center in Japan's southwestern Kagoshima prefecture.

Operated by Japan's Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center, which reports directly to the government's executive leadership, the country's IGS programme consists of optical and radar imaging spacecraft.

Thursday's launch will be the country's second launch of this year. Japan launched a radar sensor information-gathering satellite on Feb. 1.