These used to be called ICBMs

...or Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles...

physorg.com:

Japan says lunar orbiter launch a success

Japan's first lunar orbiter successfully blasted into space Friday on the most extensive mission to investigate the moon since the US Apollo programme began nearly four decades ago, officials said.

A domestically developed rocket launched with no glitches from a small island in southern Japan at 10:31 am (0131 GMT) carrying the country's hopes of restoring pride in its troubled space programme.

The orbiter separated from the H-2A rocket about 45 minutes after it took off from the Space Centre on the island of Tanegashima, the space agency said.

"The launch was a success," declared Kaoru Mamiya, vice president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in Tokyo.

"The probe detached from the rocket as expected 45 minutes after lift-off and all the subsequent phases were carried out correctly," added Yoshisada Takizawa, the head of the project.

The lunar orbiter, aiming to collect data for research of the moon's origin and evolution, will travel around the Earth before moving into an orbit of the moon in early October, officials said.

The surprise to me was that this is a Japanese rocket - the H-2a. Apparenty I've been out of the loop... Here's a NASA chart of international launch vehicles for hire, which doesn't list this rocket, or one from India. Japan and India must not be in the commercial sattelite business yet.

Sadly, my first thought was not, hey, great! Another country is getting into space exploration! My first thought was, this means one more country has a launch vehicle capable of carrying a warhead anywhere in the world. India has this one and China has these. Of course, we know that China has nuclear technology. Bushco just made sure India has it too.

I've been living in the terror-stricken 21st century for 9 months now. Is my paranoia level high enough yet? Maybe I can get a grant from Homeland Insecurity.