Japanese space program. Japan and space Japanese spaceships
This is how the artist imagines the “Phase-2” apparatus immediately after shooting from a balloon
Combined scheme of devices "Phase-1" and "Phase-2"
Launch of the first sample of the H-IIA family
Defeat in World War II was a real gift for Japan, no matter how wild it may sound. The ideas of national superiority were gone along with the militaristic frenzy, and the nation was able to focus on the really important issues - above all, on efficiency. And so the famous Japanese miracle appeared, which everyone heard about. But hardly many people know that something similar happened in the field of space development. The Japanese built their space program not for glory, but solely to achieve utilitarian, albeit large-scale goals.
Three sisters
The Japanese space budget (according to euroconsultec.com) is no more than 12% of the NASA budget. Nevertheless, not one, not two, but three independent civilian space divisions have been living and prospering on this money for several decades: the NASDA (National Space Development Agency), the Institute of Astronautics ISAS (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science) and scientific laboratory NAL (National Aerospace Laboratory). Moreover, there is no unified leadership and each of the three divisions has its own research centers and launchers.
It is widely believed among experts that it is thanks to competition that Japan has achieved great success in such a short time and with rather limited funding. V last years, against the backdrop of a deteriorating economic situation, there was talk of a merger of the three divisions, or at least a single leadership of them, but there are still three “sisters” and their total budget is still in the region of $ 2 billion.
NASDA
The Japan Space Development Agency (NASDA) was formed in 1969 (see the sidebar "NASDA Milestones"). From the very beginning, the focus was on the most efficient use of funds. The technology was helped by the Americans. In a fairly short time, Japan has mastered the technology space flights and learned to launch cargo into orbit on her own. It is important to note here that for Japan, space is not a luxury and not an object of national prestige. And not even a military facility. The life of the entire population of the country depends on the weather and the elements. Therefore, for Japan, research in the field of meteorology is literally a matter of life and death. The efforts of scientists and engineers are mainly concentrated on this.
Space plane "Hope"
Everyone knows that launching rockets is very, very expensive. Just indecent
expensive. Therefore, all over the world, both science fiction writers and scientists come up with a variety of ways to launch cargo into orbit. The Japanese settled on an unmanned space plane. Calling it HOPE-X ("Hope" - translated from English), or H-II Orbiting Plane Experimental, they began to actively develop the technologies that make up this grandiose project. The example of its implementation clearly shows how prudently the taxpayers' funds were used and how thoughtful each stage was.
"Flying saucer"
The first step towards the creation of HOPE-X was the OREX (Orbital Re-Entry eXperiment) experiment, which took place in 1994. The essence of the experiment was to send a small object into orbit and return it after one revolution. Most of all, it looked like a “flying saucer”, only very small (diameter - 3.4 m, bow radius - 1.35 m, height - 1.46 m, weight - about 865 kg at launch and about 761 kg to return time). First, the H-II rocket launched OREX into a 450 km orbit. Approximately 100 minutes after launch, the device passed over the island of Tanegashima. At that moment, according to the plan, the brake engines fired and the process of deorbiting began. All this was observed by the ground stations of the islands of Tanegashima and Ogasawara. After leaving orbit, OREX entered the upper atmosphere somewhere in the center Pacific Ocean. This happened 2 hours after launch. During the descent, the nose section heated up to 15700C, which led to the loss of communication with the device, because the plasma formed around the device reflected radio waves. At these moments, the state of OREX was recorded by sensors and recorded in the on-board computer. At the time of restoration of communication, the device transmitted data to telemetry stations located on aircraft and ships. OREX then fell into the ocean about 460 km from Christmas Island. The entire flight took approximately two hours and ten minutes. All goals were achieved: in particular, data on aerodynamics and thermal conditions at the time of return from orbit, data on the behavior of skin materials were collected, an analysis was made of the state of the apparatus at the time of loss of communication with the Earth, and navigation information was obtained using the GPS global positioning system . The most valuable result is data on the behavior of ultra-strong skin materials that are planned to be used in the HOPE-X space plane project. The Japanese National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) took part in OREX.
Up to fifteen speeds of sound
In February 1996, the J-I launch vehicle launched the next vehicle, HYFLEX (Hypersonic FLight EXperiment), into orbit. The goals of the project were to learn how to build hypersonic (that is, having a speed 3 times higher than the speed of sound) aircrafts and collect data on their behavior.
At an altitude of about 110 km, HYFLEX separated from the launch vehicle and made free flight at a speed of 3.9 km / s, sometimes reaching Mach 15 (1 Mach is the speed of sound in the atmosphere, or about 1200 km / h). After passing the "dead zone" and restoring radio contact, the device transmitted telemetry data to aircraft and ships, threw out parachutes and tried to splash down. However, there was a failure - he drowned, having completed, nevertheless, the entire flight program. An important aspect of the experiment was the study of the navigation system and the altitude control system. The device weighed 1054 kg, its surface area was 4.27 square meters. m, length - 4.4 m, wingspan - 1.36 m, height - 1.04 m.
Aspects of automatic landing
The problem of automatic landing was never solved industrially. Such systems existed (for example, the military Il-76, and the Buran landed on its own), but their reliability, to put it mildly, left much to be desired. The development of an unmanned landing system at (relatively) low speeds ALFLEX was the next step towards the creation of a space plane. From July to August 1996, 13 experiments were carried out as part of the ALFLEX project. The device, similar to the future HOPE-X, was lifted by a helicopter to a very high altitude and dropped. The device captured the landing line and made an automatic landing. All experiments were completed successfully. The length of the device was 6.1 m, the wingspan was 3.78 m, the height without landing gear was 1.35 m, and the weight was 760 kg.
How was the experiment
At first, ALFLEX was attached to a helicopter. Then the latter rose into the air and followed a predetermined course. When the ALFLEX nose aligned with the runway, the helicopter accelerated to 90 knots (approximately 166 km / h) and released the device into free flight. The descent course was about 300. When separated from the helicopter, the speed of the device was about 180 km / h. At the moment of contact with the ground, ALFLEX released a brake parachute, and also reduced speed with the help of the landing gear. After each “run”, possible damage to the helicopter and the ALFLEX module was investigated. As a result, data were obtained on the behavior of the device, according to the characteristics similar to the HOPE-X aircraft in low-speed landing conditions. Experience in developing an autonomous descent and landing system was acquired.
How it was: "Phase-1"
Actually, the reason for writing this article was the publication of the results of the HSFD Phase-I experiment (“Phase-1”). HSFD (Hish Speed Flight Demonstration) is another step towards building a space plane. An apparatus with a jet engine has already been created, capable of accelerating to Mach 0.6 (about 700 km / h), which can take off by itself, follow a given route and land at a specified place.
Just such a device took off in the fall of 2002 from Christmas Island. The device accelerated, climbed to a height of 5 km, then descended, glided and landed on the same runway. He exactly carried out the flight program, which, by the way, can be changed at any time. The "Phase-1" device is a reduced copy of HOPE-X (25% of the size of the future aircraft). It is equipped with a jet engine and landing gear. The on-board computer, using GPS and sensors, determines the flight parameters and controls the movement. The dimensions of the Phase-1 apparatus are as follows: length - 3.8 m, wingspan - 3 m, height - 1.4 m. Weight - 735 kg. Wing area - 4.4 square meters. m. Engine power - 4410 N.
How it will be: "Phase-2"
No less interesting will be the second phase of the HSFD experiment. The device will be the same as in "Phase-1". Only instead of a rocket engine, it will have a huge parachute, and instead of a landing gear, it will have inflatable bags, like airbags in cars. First, the device will be hooked by the tail section to a small balloon. He will "carry" the device to a huge balloon, which in turn will pull it into the stratosphere. Then, at an altitude of about 30 km, the shuttle will shoot back and fly down. Having accelerated to transonic speeds, it will collect a variety of aerodynamic data, then choose a direction and use parachutes to land. Since it does not have any engines, the Phase 2 vehicle will glide and use only a parachute and airbags for landing. This experiment is planned to be carried out in 2003.
What's next
If Phase-2 ends as successfully as all previous experiments, the next step will be TSTO (Two-Stage To Orbit), it will be something similar to Buran, but fundamentally unmanned, that is, it is not even provided for possibility of manned flights. And the next step will be a full-fledged space plane - a device capable of taking off from a conventional airfield, flying to orbit and returning. When this will happen is completely unclear, but the current pace of the Japanese program inspires confidence that someday this will definitely happen.
Readers are offered the first material in a fascinating series of introductory articles on the Japanese space program.
With this article, dear readers of our site, we open a series of materials about the Japanese space program. "About what?!" you will surely ask. And you will be absolutely right - oh Japanese program not so much is known about space exploration, or rather, not to a very wide circle of people.
Of course, any student (at least for now) knows who Yuri Gagarin is and what he is famous for. Some will even remember exactly when and on which ship his flight took place. Americans still sacredly remember the name of their first astronaut (even those of them who do not know who Gagarin is) - Alan Shepard, despite the fact that his flight, strictly speaking, was ubiquitous. And of course, in the United States, everyone honors the legendary commander of the Apollo 11 crew, the first person to set foot (until proven otherwise) on the surface of the moon. Finally, the term “taikonaut” has recently become fashionable, along with the name of the first Chinese in orbit, Yang Liwei.
Quite recently, we even celebrated the 50th anniversary of the orbital flight of the first four-legged astronauts, the dogs Belka and Strelka. Tell me, dear readers, have you heard of at least one Japanese astronaut? For example, I have always been surprised by the fact that, despite the fact that almost anyone would confidently call Japan one of the leading countries in the field of high technology, hardly one in a hundred has heard anything about the country's space program. It would seem, who, if not the Japanese with their technologies to conquer space? I can assure you that there are a lot of interesting things in the Japanese space program - the Land of the Rising Sun has its own launch vehicles, the devices of the proud children of Amaterasu flew to the Moon and asteroids, flights to Venus and Mars are planned. The Japanese have created a solar yacht and have their own "home" on the ISS. We will tell you about all this. Today, we decided to start not with ships and satellites, "stones, sticks and pieces of iron", but with people, envoys of Japan in space. So, today we will introduce you to the most remarkable Japanese astronauts ... and those who almost became them.
Rising Sun Gagarin
So, Yuri Gagarin, the first cosmonaut of the USSR and the whole world:
Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut:
Yang Liwei, the first Chinese taikonaut:
And this is the very first astronaut from Japan and the first Japanese in space, Toyohiro Akiyama (秋山豊寛):
The most amazing thing is that the first Japanese astronaut ... was not an astronaut at all! He was born in the midst of the Second World War, in 1942, and could hardly imagine what future awaits him: that the spacecraft of the Soviet Union, the then enemy of Japan, who defeated the Soviet Union in 1945 Kwantung Army, will not only deliver him into orbit many decades later, but will make him the first Japanese astronaut. The road to space began for Akiyama in 1966 - it was in this year that he joined the television and radio corporation TVS (Tokyo Broadcasting System). In it, he was well promoted, occupying more and more significant positions, and in 1989 he was selected under the commercial space flight, the contract for which TVS signed with Soviet Union to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its founding. Thus, Akiyama also became the first professional journalist in space, not only in Japan, but also in the world!
Since October 1989, he has been training at the Cosmonaut Training Center. Y. Gagarin, and on December 2, 1990, he launched into space on the Soyuz TM-11 spacecraft. The crew commander was V.M. Afanasiev, the flight engineer was M.Kh. Manarov, both were Soviet cosmonauts.
The ship docked with the Mir station, where the Japanese spent about 5 days. During this time, he reported live from orbit and even set up scientific experiments ... with Japanese tree frogs! In total, his flight lasted 7 days, 21 hours and 54 minutes. Unfortunately, it turned out that journalists are not very suitable for space flight: despite the preparation, during the flight, Akiyama had problems with the vestibular apparatus, the so-called. space sickness.
No less interesting was his career after the flight. In 1991, he filmed a report in Kazakhstan about the fate of the Aral Sea. In 1995, he left his corporation in protest against its commercialization. After that, the first Japanese astronaut… organized a mushroom and rice farm in Fukushima Prefecture! Truly, Japan got the most unusual first astronaut in the world.
Tereshkova in Japanese
At the time of the first space flights, it was believed that space was not a woman's business. Even the flight of Valentina Tereshkova changed little - the beautiful half of humanity adorned outer space en masse much later.
And what about the Japanese, or rather, Japanese women? Amaterasu's first daughter in space was Chiaki Mukai (向井千秋):
Compared to Tereshkova, who was in orbit in 1963, and even the first "space" American Sally Ride (she flew into space in 1983), Chiaki was significantly "late": she reached space only in 1994. She flew on American "shuttles", and two whole times - the second time in 1998. Her total flight time was quite solid 8 days 21 hours and 44 minutes. By the way, for the first time she flew into space on the infamous Columbia shuttle, which died on February 1, 2003.
Tourist from Japan
Space tourism is the latest tourist fashion. Moreover, this pleasure is still very, very expensive - we are talking about millions of dollars. The Japanese, however, did not lose face here either. Or rather, almost did not hit.
Meet Daisuke Enomoto (榎本大輔):
As you can see, he looks a little like an astronaut. Actually, it is: this nice Japanese is an entrepreneur, the owner of the Internet company Livedoor. He was supposed to be the seventh space tourist in history, and at the same time the first from Asia and Japan.
It was scheduled to fly on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft in September 2006. However, in August, due to "inconsistencies in medical indicators" from the flight, he was removed. It is noteworthy that Anoushe Ansari, an American of Iranian origin, the first woman in history to be a space tourist, went into space instead.
Extreme
In fact, astronauts are very superstitious people. For example, they never say "last", only "extreme". So, the last one among the Japanese is Soichi Noguchi (野口聡一):
He is quite a professional astronaut, he was supposed to go into space for the first time in 2003, but due to the disaster of the Columbia shuttle we have already mentioned, the flight was postponed. As a result, it launched on July 25, 2005, on the Discovery shuttle, this was the first flight of the Space Shuttle system after that tragedy.
For his flights, Noguchi repeatedly went to outer space and worked on the International Space Station:
Until very recently, he returned only recently - June 2, 2010. This was a major event in Japan, correspondents of the leading news agency Kyodo Tsushin specially traveled to Kazakhstan and waited all night in the wild steppe for the return of the Soyuz descent vehicle, on which the astronaut was returning, to interview him immediately after opening the hatches.
On this, dear visitors of our site, we say goodbye to you. Stay tuned for our next articles on Japan's space program!
P.S. Read the next articles in this series.
Japan is rushing to the market. Into the space
Capturing 25% of the world market for global Earth monitoring satellites, creating our own reusable spacecraft, building an astronomical observatory on the Moon and a network of robotic platform stations in low and medium Earth orbits - these are just some of the goals of the long-term national space program Japan. The May 11 explosion at the Space Center of the Institute of Space and Aeronautics (ICA) of the Ministry of Education of Japan may change the implementation of a number of specific space projects, but, according to experts, it is unlikely to affect the pace of the entire program. This means that by 2010 Japan will become a real competitor to Russia, the US and France, not only in the commercial satellite launch market.
Japan began practical space exploration in February last year, successfully launching its first heavy rocket, the H-2, which cost $2.5 billion to build. But by the end of this year, the National Exploration Agency outer space(NASDA) and ICA intend to test two of the latest solid-propellant carriers "J-1" and "Mu-5". The place in the national space program of only the carrier "Mu-5" is clearly defined, about "J-1" - the development of NASDA - there is not a word in it. At the same time, the J-1 could well be used as a basic ballistic launch vehicle capable of carrying a military warhead: the missile can launch cargo weighing up to 1 ton into low orbits. True, it is possible to create a full-fledged ballistic missile only if you have an appropriate level of knowledge in the field of orientation and guidance systems. Their shortage was not the last reason that at the dawn of the nuclear missile confrontation, the USSR and the USA did not dare to use these weapons - there were no guarantees that the missiles would fall at least a few kilometers from the target. The rapid accumulation of experience in the field of guidance raises additional concerns about the officially non-existent military aspect of Japan's space program. According to ITAR-TASS, the experiments to return space objects to Earth, conducted by Tokyo as part of the program to create the reusable Hope spacecraft, are going well - this means that the system for guiding objects to a given area is being improved, and the likelihood of Tokyo getting ballistic missiles is growing.
But not only the rocket-building aspect of Japan's space program can be used for both peaceful and military purposes. Most recently, a decision was made to allocate $7 million this year for the development of a Japanese observation satellite. It is supposed to be equipped with equipment with a resolution of up to 2.5 meters. At the same time, on civilian satellites, this figure is 10 meters on the French Spot and 30 meters on the American Landsat. The launch of such equipment into space on supposedly civilian satellites (according to current legislation, the military use of space by the Japan National Defense Administration is prohibited) will make it possible to clearly identify models of aircraft, missiles, ships, and even armored vehicles both day and night, and in conditions of continuous cloud cover. By 2010, Japan's orbital constellation (its formation will begin as early as 1999-2000) will be 30 units, and the costs will exceed $800 million. According to official Tokyo, the satellite system will be designed exclusively for observing natural phenomena and preventing natural disasters. Japan's Asian neighbors will also be able to use it to solve their economic or environmental problems. Naturally, not for free. By the way, the explosion in the IKA center took place during preparations for testing a new engine for the H-2 rocket. With its help, it is planned to improve this carrier in order to increase its carrying capacity when launching payloads, including ALOS satellites, into low orbits.
Japan's space ambitions primarily affect its closest neighbors in the region, which are actively developing their own space programs - China and India. They may simply not have time (and everything is moving towards this) to enter the regional market not only for commercial launches of satellites, but also for the market for information obtained with their help. The rate at which the Japanese shuttle program is being implemented allows Tokyo to hope that in 15 years it will oust Russia and the United States in the market for manned flights. While it is hard to imagine, but Japan intends to independently build, deliver into orbit and attach to the international space station "Alpha" its national module "JEM". At the same time, according to ITAR-TASS, it is planned to use its own "shuttle" "Hope", which will be launched into orbit by the same "H-2" carrier. In general, while Japan, despite all the difficulties, is confidently approaching its cherished goal - complete space independence.
ALEXANDER B-KORETSKY
Well, I can't miss cosmonautics day, can I? :)
A bunch of news about Japanese space :)
To begin with, a story about where Japanese ships fly from:
Uchinoura Space Center (Jap. Uchinoura-Uchu: -Ku: Kan-Kansokusho?) is a spaceport located on the Pacific coast near the Japanese city of Kimotsuki (formerly Uchinoura), in Kagoshima Prefecture. Until the formation of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2003, it was designated the Kagoshima Space Center and operated under the auspices of the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science (ISAS). Mu solid-propellant carrier rockets, which were used for all launches of Japanese scientific spacecraft, as well as geophysical and meteorological rockets, will launch from the Uchinoura cosmodrome. The spacecraft being launched can have an orbital inclination ranging from 29° to 75° to the equatorial plane. The center has stations for deep space communications to ensure the flights of interplanetary stations.
Construction of the Kagoshima Space Center, designed for experimental launches of large rockets, began in 1961 and was completed in February 1962. Previously, prior to the founding of this launch complex, test launches of Japanese K150, K245 and Kappa missiles were carried out from the Akita missile test base in Mitigawa (39°34′00″ N 140°04′00″ E). (G) (O)), from the mid-1950s to the 1960s. However, the launch of large rockets required a wider area for the fall of spent stages than the narrow Sea of Japan. After evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of various sites, the city of Uchinoura in Kagoshima Prefecture, located right on the Pacific coast, was chosen for the construction of the spaceport. During the construction of the complex, the designers took advantage of the natural hilly landscape.
Solid-propellant rockets created in Japan, as a rule, were named by letters Greek alphabet- "Alpha", "Beta", "Kappa", "Omega", "Lambda", and "Mu", some letters were omitted due to project cancellations. The Mu family of missiles, which is still in use today, is the most powerful and complex.
The first rocket launch carried out from the new site was the launch of the K150 rocket, which was a small copy of the Kappa rocket, in August 1962. After that, full-scale tests of the Kappa and Lambda series missiles began, with a parallel forcing of work on the Mu program. On February 11, 1970, after four accidents, an experimental satellite was successfully launched into orbit using the Lambda-4S (L-4S-5) rocket. The Osumi spacecraft (named after a peninsula in Kagoshima Prefecture) was Japan's first artificial earth satellite. Subsequently, significant progress in the creation of the Mu-class rockets made it possible to carry out one launch of a scientific spacecraft per year. The latest generation of Mu-5 rockets first demonstrated their capabilities with the launch of the MUSES-B (Haruka) research satellite in February 1997.
After the transfer of ISAS to JAXA, the spaceport was renamed the Uchinoura Space Center, and launches of heavy solid rockets for scientific purposes were retained behind it.
How the space truck was launched two years ago:
A group of Japanese corporations led by Mitsubishi are building the world's first orbital power plant. Now specialists from the University of Kyoto are preparing for ground tests.
The station is a group of 40 satellites equipped with solar panels. They will transfer the accumulated energy to the ground in a non-contact way using electromagnetic waves. A huge “mirror” with a diameter of 3 km, which will be placed in a desert region of the ocean, will receive a signal on the planet.
The advantage of an orbital power plant is that it does not depend on the weather. According to experts, it will work 10 times more efficiently than the earth.
The Japanese experimental space sailboat IKAROS ("Icarus") has gained over the past six months, thanks to its sail, "working" due to pressure sunlight, additionally 100 meters per second or 360 km. per hour, according to the Japanese space agency JAXA.
The device was launched on May 21, 2010. simultaneously with the Akatsuki research probe, and the two of them went to Venus. At the beginning of summer, Icarus began to unwind and unfold its sail - a 14-meter square membrane sheet. The 7.5 micron thick sail - thinner than a human hair - is made of polyimide resin reinforced with aluminium. The total weight of the apparatus is 310 kg. In addition, thin solar panels and blocks of liquid crystals are fixed on it, capable of changing their reflectivity and, accordingly, the value of acceleration when switching. By switching crystals from different sides of the sail, the experts expected to change the direction of movement of the apparatus.
IKAROS became the first ever successfully launched space sailboat sent on an interplanetary journey. Currently the sailboat is at a distance of 10.5 million km. from Venus.
The success of the first space sailing ship in history is overshadowed by the failure of the mission of its "fellow traveler" - the Venusian probe "Akatsuki". Due to an abnormal operation of the fuel system valve, this space station was unable to enter orbit around Venus and flew by. Scientists expect to repeat the attempt to put the device into orbit around Venus in six years, when the Akatsuki will again be in the vicinity of the planet. This is reported by "Russian space".
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to expand its satellite-based mineral exploration program to East and West Africa, said informational portal Nikkei. Currently Japan is using satellite technology to search for metals in South Africa such as platinum and rare earth metals.
Deputy Minister Yoshikatsu Nakayama plans this week to call on South African Mining Investment Conference delegates from more than 40 African countries to join forces with Japan on satellite exploration in light of hopes of tungsten and nickel discoveries in eastern Africa and manganese - in the western. Japan is also seeking to seize the initiative from China in South Africa and Zambia, where Chinese firms are buying up mining rights to chromium and copper.
President of the Japanese space agency Keiji Tachikawa shared with journalists plans to participate in the project moon base. Japanese robots could replace astronauts when performing various tasks on the surface of the satellite.
According to Tachikawa, robots can perform construction and exploration work, and extract minerals. Modified versions of the Asimo and Qrio robots, created by Honda and Sony corporations, are considered as candidates. In addition, many terrestrial machines and mechanisms can be adapted for use on the moon.
The Japanese space agency's 20-year plan is in line with the George W. Bush administration's 2004 plan to have a habitable lunar base by 2025. The base should serve as an intermediate point for landing a man on Mars.
The project of colonization of the moon can be a significant help for the Japanese space industry, which is going through hard times.
Um, um ... Especially with the amendment that Obama decided not to fly to the moon.
TOKYO/TSUKUBAI ( This is where the accelerator center and the KEK laboratory are located.), April 12 - RIA Novosti, Sergey Kotsyuba. The RIA Novosti photo exhibition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the first manned flight into space opened on Tuesday at the National Space Center of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), in the science city of Tsukuba.
“We set ourselves the goal of holding such an exhibition that would highlight the contribution made to the exploration of outer space by Soviet and then Russian controlled spacecraft,” said Takaki Takizaki, one of the organizers of the anniversary Gagarin events, head of the JAXA public relations department.
Photographers from the Novosti Press Agency (RIA Novosti's predecessor) were among the first Soviet journalists to photograph Gagarin, and the agency's Internet archive now contains about 3,000 such photographs.
The exhibition in Japan features more than 30 unique photographs from the agency's archive. Visitors to the exhibit can also see an authentic Russian cosmonaut spacesuit, space nutrition kits and a life-size model of the Soyuz launch vehicle owned by JAXA.
"Gagarin was the first, no one else will be able to do what he did," said Kyoko Hanari, an employee of the administrative department of the National Space Center in Tsukuba.
The photo exhibition is being held in Japan as part of a whole range of events announced as "The main event of this spring - Space then and today - from the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's first flight to Furukawa's flight." Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa is to be delivered by the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) this anniversary year, where he will work for more than six months.
Tsukuba is located 75 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, close to areas hardest hit by the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The consequences of the rampant elements forced the administration of the space center located in Tsukuba to cancel some of the celebrations, including the Week of Science and Technology, which was supposed to open on April 16.
However, according to the organizers, this will not affect the photo exhibition dedicated to Gagarin's flight. The exhibition, as planned, will last until mid-summer 2011.
From Asia and Africa to the title " space power» Japan is the closest. Back in January 1955, the National Science Council of Japan decided to participate in research upper layers atmosphere during the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958).
A special committee on geophysical rockets was created. In 1955, rockets were launched - the first Japanese rocket "Pencil", followed by "Baby", with the help of which telemetry systems, tracking systems and means of searching for missiles that fell into the ocean were checked. In 1956-1957, Kappa rockets were launched. According to the program of the International Year of the Quiet Sun (1964-1965), with the help of the Lambda and Kappa rockets, phenomena in the ionosphere, the nature of the propagation of radio waves, magnetic fields, cosmic rays, solar and galactic x-rays.
The prospects for the development of space research in Japan are outlined in the report of the National Council for Space Research, which appeared in 1964. This document outlines six main tasks in the field of space research: the development of artificial satellites, the design of meteorological rockets, the improvement of launch vehicles, the development of means and methods for using satellites launched by other countries; Scientific research with the help of geophysical rockets and the creation of a variety of measuring equipment.
But, undoubtedly, the most important event in the development of Japanese rocket technology will be the launch of the satellite, which will mark the beginning of astronautics in Japan. On September 26, 1966, a four-stage Lambda-4 rocket was launched from the Uchinoura test site, the last stage of which was supposed to become a satellite of the Earth. Due to the incorrect operation of the attitude control system, the last stage with the instrument compartment did not enter orbit. The experiment, which cost $250,000, ended in failure. But failures will not weaken Japan's position in the struggle for the title of "space power".
Japan's National Space Program is led by the National Space Research Council under the Prime Minister. The ministries of science and technology, defense, education, post and communications, transport, and foreign trade participate in space research.
Since April 1964, the Institute of Aerospace Sciences has been operating at the University of Tokyo. It has three departments: science, engineering and aeronautics. The Institute has at its disposal a launch complex in Kagoshima (in the south of the country) and a test center in Michikawa (in the north of Honshu). Work on the creation of rockets "Kappa", "Lambda" and "Mu" is carried out by a group of specialists of the Institute under the leadership of Professor H. Yotokawa. These rockets, designed and tested by Japanese engineers, are capable of delivering payloads to various altitudes and into orbit around the Earth in various combinations.
Despite the obvious desire for independent space research, the leaders of the Japanese space program could not refuse joint experiments with American scientists. Back in 1962, rockets were launched from the American test site Wallops Island to study the ionosphere. Instruments developed by American and Japanese scientists were installed on board the rockets. Thus began the collaboration with NASA. Joint experiments continue. The Japan Science and Technology Administration and NASA have reached an informal agreement to sell US launch vehicle control systems to Japan, the Aerospace Daily reported. Earlier, a number of American firms agreed to sell their control systems to Japan, but the US Department of Defense did not give permission for this.
American control systems will obviously be installed on improved models of the Japanese Mu-4 launch vehicle, with the help of which attempts to launch the first Japanese rocket into orbit will continue. artificial satellite Earth.
Japan goes to various forms of cooperation with the United States not as a "weak side", but counting on rivalry in the future. Japanese industrial firms and corporations profit from the production of various types of weapons, including missiles. In many cases, they are already successfully competing with the United States. At first, the Japanese industry produced under license some samples of American missiles. At present, the production of a number of samples of domestic missile weapons has already been organized.
Following the emerging trend, Japan's aviation-industrial companies began the development and production of space technology. Moreover, when creating various models of space technology, the possibility of using it for military purposes is not overlooked. Thus, Mitsubishi has been working on the creation of anti-aircraft missiles and air-to-air missiles since 1955. Now the company continues to work in the field of rocket weapons and at the same time designs the first Japanese satellite and several samples of high-altitude rockets commissioned by the Japan Science and Technology Administration.
The automotive firm "Prince" has a leading role in the production of military and research missiles. Among its products are solid fuel engines that are used in various types guided and unguided missile weapons. Beginning in 1957, Prince began manufacturing Pencil, Baby, Omega, Kappa, and Sigma rockets for the Institute of Aerospace Sciences at the University of Tokyo, according to Jane's Yearbook. The company is now entrusted with the production of Lambda and Mu rockets, with the help of various combinations of which it is planned to launch the first Japanese satellites.
D. Randolph, head of the Associated Press agency in Japan, in his article “Japan as a Nuclear Power”, writes with concern that the characteristics of the Japanese Mu missile are not inferior to the American Minuteman combat missile, Randolph concludes that Japan may soon become a formidable nuclear power.
