Japan's 50th and final H2A rocket has successfully placed a greenhouse gas observing satellite into orbit.

The rocket lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima at 1:33 a.m. Sunday.

The H2A shed its booster rockets and first-stage engine, and about 16 minutes later placed a GOSAT-GW satellite into its scheduled orbit. The device, nicknamed IBUKI GW, can measure greenhouse gas levels and collect other kinds of data.

The rocket has been Japan's flagship model and has carried satellites into space for over two decades. Its launch success rate is around 98 percent. The only failure was on the sixth attempt, which happened in 2003.

The H2A is being phased out due to high launch costs. It will now be completely replaced by the H3 rocket.