Japan decided to delay the planned launch of an H2A rocket carrying a government optical intelligence-gathering satellite on Tuesday due to a glitch on the launch pad, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said.

Mitsubishi Heavy, which is in charge of the launch, said it found a leak in the piping supplying the rocket with nitrogen gas while preparing for the liftoff.

The rocket launch was expected to carry the device that will join the country's seven other reconnaissance satellites believed to be utilized for purposes such as monitoring development at North Korean missile sites.

The H2A rocket was scheduled to lift off on Tuesday morning from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, after the launch previously set for Monday was pushed back due to inclement weather.

Japan operates two types of reconnaissance satellites -- optical satellites that take photos of the ground using a device similar to a digital camera, and radar satellites which can be used to capture images in the evening as well as in poor weather conditions.

The government currently operates five radar and two optical satellites, and aims to operate a total of 10 satellites in the future.

==Kyodo

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