TANEGASHIMA, Japan—With its latest satellite launch, Japan is taking a leap in technology to keep its self-driving cars in their highway lanes, land delivery drones on matchbox-sized targets in the country, and potentially help destroy North Korean missile sites.

Tuesday’s launch, Japan’s fourth of a geo-positioning satellite, will allow the country to start operating its own version of the U.S. military-controlled Global Positioning System in April, a network that will cover Japan and the surrounding region.

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