[fire_mat99]

Japan's space agency is drawing up plans manned space flights and a manned research base on the moon

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's space agency is drawing up plans that could include manned space flights and a manned research base on the moon, a newspaper said on Monday.

Japan took a step toward restoring faith in its space program on Saturday when it put a satellite in orbit, 15 months after its previous attempt ended in humiliating failure when the rocket had to be blown up shortly after launch.


That failure was particularly painful because it came shortly after China successfully put a man into space -- a move that Japan said at the time it had no plans to emulate.


The daily Mainichi Shimbun said on Monday a draft long-term plan being drawn up by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) includes developing a vehicle similar to the U.S. space shuttle by 2025.


Around the same time, it hopes to start constructing a research base on the moon, the paper said.


Other plans include using satellites to send information on disasters such as tsunami directly to mobile phones, it said.


An official at JAXA declined to comment on the possible contents of the plan, which is expected to be finalized by March 31, the end of Japan's fiscal year.


"However, I believe there is no change in our stance on manned space flight," he added.


Many in the space industry say Japan is unlikely to become a major player in commercial satellite launches but scientists argue the space program is important for national prestige.


Satellites launched by Japan could play a valuable regional role such as helping warn other Asian countries of tsunami, they say.


The Japanese-built H-2A rocket launched on Saturday from the tiny island of Tanegashima, 1,000 km (620 miles) southwest of Tokyo, carried a dual-purpose navigation and meteorological satellite.


It was the seventh launch since the H-2A program started in August 2001, with the only failure coming in November 2003.


The aborted mission resulted in the loss of two spy satellites intended to monitor North Korea (news - web sites), which earlier this month announced it had nuclear weapons and was pulling out of six-way talks aimed at ending its nuclear ambitions.


Japan's space program came under fire in the 1990s after two unsuccessful launches by the H-2 rocket, the predecessor of the H-2A.


Despite Saturday's success, Japan still has many hurdles to overcome, including bringing down the cost of launches -- Saturday's cost around 9.4 billion yen ($89 million) -- and increasing trust in the launch process as a whole.


"Desperate though it is to be a player in the space race, Japan still has a lot of catching up to do," the Asahi Shimbun said in an editorial on Monday.


But it said that with only one failure in seven launches of the H-2A, Japan's success rate is 86 percent, compared to 90 percent for the United States and 97 percent for Europe's Ariane space program, though those figures are based on more than 100 launches each.

[fire_mat99]

Space May Be Final Frontier for Chinese Tourists

BEIJING (Reuters) - Wealthy Chinese can add an exotic new choice to their growing list of holiday destinations -- space.

China put its first man in space in 2003, but one of the next may be paying for the privilege since a U.S. firm began commercial spaceflight services in the China market in partnership with a Hong Kong firm, newspapers said on Monday.


The first Chinese customer, surnamed Jiang from the booming southern city of Shenzhen, had already put down a deposit of more than 1 million yuan ($120,800) for a zero-gravity thrill ride, the Beijing Morning Post said, quoting an executive from the U.S.-based Space Adventures.


"If everything goes smoothly, he will fly into space in 2006," it said, noting that Jiang had signed up for a short sub-orbital flight that would take him to the edge of the Earth's atmosphere.


Such a voyage was one of the cheaper choices in Space Adventure's portfolio for the Chinese market, which also includes Earth orbits and accommodation on space stations, the newspaper said.


The company was not immediately available for comment.


More than 100 would-be space tourists worldwide have paid the company sizable deposits for rides on spacecraft not even built yet.


"Plans call for more than 20 Chinese tourists to be able to go to the United States to undergo ground-based space travel training as soon as May," the Beijing News said.


China became only the third country after the United States and Russia to put a person in space and still has lofty ambitions.


It plans to launch its second manned spaceflight, a five-day mission with two astronauts aboard, in September, state media have reported

[Wet Chicken]

Originally Posted by fire_mat99

Japan's space agency is drawing up plans manned space flights

The problem is that they keep getting the urge to go back for more every hour

[fire_mat99]

I guess now for sure the US has to get back into the space program I can just see guys in congress saying thuse dam Chines and Japanese are going to put us in poor house Yet if the US does not get back into the space program the consequences are very high

[linskyjack]

Who cares--we are going to Mars!!!!!!----------and there is a Santa Claus!

[Wet Chicken]

Originally Posted by linskyjack

----------and there is a Santa Claus!

Didn't you hear? He died back in 2000

[fire_mat99]

Relief as Japan Satellite Launch Succeeds

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan successfully fired a state-owned satellite into orbit on Saturday in a key step toward restoring faith in its space program, 15 months after its previous launch attempt ended in failure.

The Japanese-built H-2A rocket powered into the evening sky leaving a huge plume of vapor above the launch site on the tiny island of Tanegashima, 620 miles southwest of Tokyo at 6:25 p.m. (4:25 a.m. EST).


"The satellite separated from the rocket about 40 minutes after takeoff and is now in its initial orbit," Tsukasa Mito, an executive director at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) told a post-launch news conference.


The dual-purpose navigation and meteorological satellite is due to start operating in May.


Television showed scientists applauding and shaking hands in the control room.


"At the moment of takeoff, my heart swelled," said Education and Science Minister Nariaki Nakayama, whose ministry oversees JAXA. "When I heard the satellite had separated successfully, I was relieved, but at the same time I thought it was a matter of course."


Takeoff was more than an hour later than planned after an error occurred in the H-2A's data transmission system. Poor weather had caused an earlier two-day delay.


A faulty rocket booster prompted controllers to blow up the previous H-2A shortly after launch in November 2003. That mishap followed five consecutive successes.


The aborted mission resulted in the loss of two spy satellites intended to monitor secretive North Korea (news - web sites), which earlier this month announced it has nuclear weapons and was pulling out of six-way talks aimed at ending its nuclear ambitions.


It also embarrassed Japan, just weeks after China put a man in space, a feat Japan has never attempted.


HISTORY OF PROBLEMS


Japan's space program came under fire in the 1990s after two unsuccessful launches by its previous rocket, the H-2.


A planned handover of the H-2A launch program to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., the main manufacturer of the rocket, was delayed indefinitely after the 2003 mishap.


"I think in terms of cost we are already internationally competitive," Keiji Tachikawa, President of JAXA, said at the news conference. "What we lacked was the reliability," he said, adding that Saturday's success was a step in the right direction.


Many in the space industry say Japan is unlikely to become a major player in commercial satellite launches but scientists argue the space program is important for national prestige.


Satellites launched by Japan could play a valuable regional role such as helping warn other Asian countries of approaching tsunami, they say

[fire_mat99]

Space May Be Final Frontier for Chinese Tourists

BEIJING (Reuters) - Wealthy Chinese can add an exotic new choice to their growing list of holiday destinations -- space.

China put its first man in space in 2003, but one of the next may be paying for the privilege since a U.S. firm began commercial spaceflight services in the China market in partnership with a Hong Kong firm, newspapers said on Monday.


The first Chinese customer, surnamed Jiang from the booming southern city of Shenzhen, had already put down a deposit of more than 1 million yuan ($120,800) for a zero-gravity thrill ride, the Beijing Morning Post said, quoting an executive from the U.S.-based Space Adventures.


"If everything goes smoothly, he will fly into space in 2006," it said, noting that Jiang had signed up for a short sub-orbital flight that would take him to the edge of the Earth's atmosphere.


Such a voyage was one of the cheaper choices in Space Adventure's portfolio for the Chinese market, which also includes Earth orbits and accommodation on space stations, the newspaper said.


The company was not immediately available for comment.


More than 100 would-be space tourists worldwide have paid the company sizable deposits for rides on spacecraft not even built yet.


"Plans call for more than 20 Chinese tourists to be able to go to the United States to undergo ground-based space travel training as soon as May," the Beijing News said.


China became only the third country after the United States and Russia to put a person in space and still has lofty ambitions.


It plans to launch its second manned spaceflight, a five-day mission with two astronauts aboard, in September, state media have reported

[fire_mat99]

Any update

[bassetman]

We are just worried they will beat us!

[fire_mat99]

We are just worried they will beat us!

Thats why the US has to work harder