Japan and space. Japanese Minimalism: Japanese Space Japanese Space Program

Already twice transferred the start of the N-IIIV carrier missile with a cargo ship KOUNOTORI 7. Why is this ship waiting for the ISS so and with which the launch transfer is connected?

It seems that only specialists know about the Space Program of Japan. The program exists, the rockets are regularly launched, but no piana, as it happens with the Ilona Mask and his company Space X. And meanwhile, Japan is one of the three countries in the world delivering freight ships for the life support of the International Space Station. All the Russian freight "progresses", American Dragon with the possibility of returning, and about Japanese Kounotori (from Yap. "White Aist") again know only interested.

Japanese "truck"

So now in orbit, the seventh mission with the cargo for those in the orbit of astronauts will fly. The mission has the name KOUNOTORI 7 and starts from the Japanese cosmodrome of the taircraft. The cargo of the spacecraft will be more than four and a half tons of payload. Among them, new lithium-ion batteries ordered by NASA to replace aging nickel-hydrogen batteries. This is part of the batteries, the rest will arrive at the ISS with the following launch. It is assumed that the astronauts will install the panels already during the nearest way out in open space in the month.

In fact, the timely replacement of batteries is a very serious problem. In addition, the panels lose their ability to produce electricity from sunlight over time, micrometeorites damaging panels represent a separate problem. A few years later, the battery can lose up to a quarter generated electricity. Therefore, they have to replace them regularly.

Moreover, the main generation of electricity lies on the US segment. In the Russian sector, there are also batteries, but they are not enough, we use the energy produced by batteries located between the Unity and Destiny modules. The leadership of Roskosmos has long wanted to correct the problem with electricity, for which in 2022 it is supposed to launch the Russian NAM module, the main task of which will be the generation of electricity.

What is the problem?

For the second time, the launch of the heavy I6 carrier missile is postponed. The first time the cause of the transfer was bad weather, and rather passing Typhoon in the Pacific Ocean. And in Japan, there was no strong typhoon, but he raged next to the island Guam, where telemetry is going with a rocket during launch, so from September 10, the start was postponed on September 14.

September 14 showed a more serious problem. After refueling tanks with fuel and oxidizing agent, the system signaled the problem with the fuel pump valve of the second stage. I could not quickly solve this problem, so the launch was postponed for a week and will be held on Saturday, September 22. According to representatives of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which is responsible for launching the rocket, the problem is eliminated and the launch should take place on time.

It is clear why Japanese experts blow water. The thing is that in June 2018, the start of the private Japanese missile MOMO was completed. Launched on June 30, 2018, the rocket broke away from the ground and overcame several tens of meters, but suddenly collapsed and exploded, causing a strong fire. Formally, private Japanese cosmonautics is in no way related to the state program, however, for the Japanese to preserve the face of the cosmic industry is very important.

Flight process

At the same time, there is no problem with the launch of the N-IIIB problem with the launch. Since 2009, it has been launched six times, and all six launches were successful. This is more than a decent result. It is worth noting that the Japanese are seriously reinsured at launch, for example, unlike Russian specialists ,. The Japanese ship will reach the station only after five days of flight (simply compare it with the Russian "progress" that reached the station for three hours forty minutes). It is so easier, less must be attached to the startup window, more time for maneuvers, less error price when changing orbits.

Japanese cargo ships, like American Dragon, do not dock to the ISS. They slow down the speed and are flown to the station as much as possible, and there they are already catching them with a ten meter manipulator Canadarm 2. The manipulator is melted to the gateway, after which the payload is started on board the station.

Now it remains only to hope that the launch of the Japanese cargo ship will be successful and the astronauts at the international space station will receive the goods in the middle next week. The ISS supply is responsible, and astronauts are waiting for each launch.

The readers are offered the first material from the fascinating cycle of introductory articles on the Space Program of Japan.

This article, dear readers of our site, we open the cycle of materials about the Japanese space program. "About what?!" - Surely you ask. And you will be absolutely right - about the Japanese program of space development is known not so much, or rather, not too wide a circle of people.

Of course, any schoolboy (at least as long as) knows who Yuri Gagarin and what he is famous. Some will even remember when it was and on which ship his flight took place. Americans still holy 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 with a caretaker. And of course, in the US, all the advantage of the legendary commander of the crew "Apollo-11", the first person who has pulled (has not yet been proven to the opposite) on the surface of the moon. Finally, quite recently became a fashionable term "Taykonavt" with the name of the first Chinese in orbit - Yana Livea.

Most recently, we even celebrated the 50th anniversary of the orbital flight of the first four-legged astronauts - dogs of proteins and arrows. Tell me, dear readers, did you hear anything about one Japanese astronaut? For example, I was always surprised by the fact that, despite the fact that almost anyone with confidence would call Japan with one of the leading countries in the field of high technology, it is hardly one of the hundred I heard something about the Space Program of this country. It would seem, to whom, how not to Japanese with their technologies to conquer space? I can assure you that in the Japanese space program a lot of interesting things - the country of the rising sun has its own carrier missiles, Amateras's proud devices flew to the moon and asteroids, are planned flights to Venus and Mars. The Japanese created a sunny yacht and have their own "home" on the ISS. We will tell you about all this. Today we decided not to start not from ships and satellites, "stones, sticks and glands", but with people, Japanese envoys in space. So today we will imagine you the most remarkable Japanese astronauts ... and those who have become almost them.

Gagarin of the Rising Sun.

So, Yuri Gagarin, the first cosmonaut of the USSR and the whole world:

Alan Shepard, First American Astronaut:

Jan Lievi, the first Chinese Taikonavt:

And this is the very first astronaut from Japan and the first Japanese in space, Tyokhiro Akiyama (秋山豊寛):

The most amazing thing is that the first Japanese astronaut ... was not at all astronaut! He was born in the midst of the Second World War, in 1942, and could hardly imagine what the future it expects: that the Soviet Soviet Union's space ship, the then Enemy of Japan, who defeated the Kwanantic Army in 1945, not just deliver it to orbit a lot Dozens years later, and will make the first Japanese astronaut. The road to space began for Akiyama in 1966 - it was this year that he went to work at TVS television-core (Tokyo Broadcasting System). In it, he was well advanced by the service, occupying increasingly significant positions, and in 1989 there was a selection on a commercial space flight program, a contract for which TVS concluded with Soviet UnionTo celebrate the 40th anniversary of its foundation. Thus, the Akiyama became also the first professional journalist in space, and not only in Japan, but also in the world!

From October 1989, he trained at the Center for Cosmonauts. Y.Gagarin, and on December 2, 1990, on the ship "Union TM-11" launched into space. The crew commander was V.M. Afanasyev, Bartinzhiner - M.H.Manarov, both Soviet cosmonauts.

The ship was stripped with the "World" station, the Japanese spent about 5 days on it. During this time, he led direct reports from orbits and even put scientific experiments ... with Japanese wood frogs! All his flight lasted 7 days, 21 hours and 54 minutes. Unfortunately, it turned out that journalists are not very suitable for the space flight: despite the preparation, during the flight, Akiyam had problems with the vestibular apparatus, the so-called. Space disease.

No less interesting was his career after the flight. In 1991, he filmed a report about the fate of the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan. In 1995, he left his corporation in protest against its commercialization. After that, the first Japanese astronaut ... organized a farm for the cultivation of mushrooms and rice in Fukushima Prefecture! Truly, Japan got the most non-standard first astronaut in the world.

Tereshkova in Japanese

During the first space flights, it was believed that space is not a female business. Even the flight of Valentina Tereshkova has changed little - the beautiful half of humanity decorated the outer space in a mass order much later.

And what about the Japanese, or rather, with Japanese? The first daughter Amateras in space became Tiaki Mukai (向 井 千秋):

In comparison with Tereshkova, who visited the orbit in 1963, and even the first "space" American Salley Ryde (she flew into space in 1983), Tiaki significantly "threw out": she got to Sosmos only in 1994. She flew on American "shuttles", and as many as two times - the second time in 1998. Its shared flare was quite solid 8 days 21 hours and 44 minutes. By the way, for the first time she flew into space in the sadly famous Shuttle "Columbia", who was killed on February 1, 2003.

Tourist from Japan

Space tourism is the last peak of tourist fashion. And the pleasure is still very and very expensive - it's about millions of dollars. The Japanese, however, and here they did not hit the dirt face. Rather, almost did not hit.

Meet this - Dysuke Enoto (榎本大輔):

As you can see, on the astronaut it is not enough. Actually, it is: this cute Japanese is an entrepreneur, the owner of the Internet firm "LiveDoor". He had to become the seventh in the history of the space tourist, and at the same time first - from Asia and Japan.

He had to fly on the Russian Soyuz ship in September 2006. However, in August, due to the "non-compliance of medical indicators" from the flight, he was removed. It is noteworthy that Instead of him, Anushari - American Iranian origin went to space, the first woman in history is a space tourist.

Extreme

In fact, astronauts - people are very superstitious. For example, they never say the "last", only "extreme". So, the extreme among the Japanese is still softening (野口 一 -):

He is quite a professional astronaut, for the first time in space was supposed to go in 2003, however, due to us already mentioned by us, the colombia shuttle was transferred to the flight. As a result, he started on July 25, 2005, on the shuttle "Discovery", it was the first flight of the SPACE SHUTTLE system after that tragedy.

For their flights, the nails have repeatedly went into open space and worked at the International Space Station:

Until recently, he returned only recently - June 2, 2010. It was a major event in Japan, correspondents of the leading news agency of Kyodo Tsuchin specially went to Kazakhstan and all night in the wild steppe were waiting for the return of the descent "Union", on which the astronaut was returned to take an interview immediately after opening the hatches.

On this, dear visitors to our site, we say goodbye to you. Wait for the following articles about the Space Program of Japan!

P.S. Read the following articles of this cycle.

Well, I can't miss the day of astronautics, right? :)
A bunch of news about Japanese space :)

To start a story about where Japanese ships are flying from:
Utinur Space Center (Yap. Utinur-Idea: -Yoa: Kan-Kansokusoye?) - A cosmodrome located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean near the Japanese city of Kiograki (former Utinur), in the Kagosima Prefecture. Before the formation of the Japanese Aerospace Research Agency (JAXA) in 2003, he was marked as the Kagoshim Space Center and worked under the auspices of the Institute of Cosmonautics and Aeronautical Science, ISAS). Solid fuel carrier missiles "MJ" starts from the Utinur cosmodrome, which were used for all launches of Japanese scientific spacecraft, as well as geophysical and meteorological rockets. The output spacecraft may have an outer orbit ranging from 29 ° to 75 ° to the equator plane. The center has a discontinuity stations to provide interplanetary stations flights.
The construction of the Kagoshim Space Center, intended for the experimental launches of large missiles was launched in 1961, and completed in February 1962. Previously, before the foundation of this starting complex, the test launches of Japanese missiles "K150", "K245" and "Cappa" were made with a test missile base of the Akita in Mitigava (39 ° 34'00 "with. Sh. 140 ° 04'00" in. d. (g) (O)), from the mid-1950s to the 1960s. However, the launch of large missiles required a wider waters for falling spent steps than a narrow Japanese sea. After assessing the advantages and disadvantages of various sites, the city of Utinur was chosen for the construction of a cosmodrome in the Kagoshima Prefecture, located right on the Pacific Coast. When erecting a complex, designers used the benefits of a natural hilly landscape.

Solid fuel rockets created in Japan, as a rule, received names for letters greek alphabet - Alpha, "Beta", "Kappa", "Omega", "Lambda", and "MJ", some letters were missed due to the cancellation of projects. The family of missiles "MJ", used and understood, is the most powerful and complex.
The first missile launch carried out from the new platform was the launch of the "K150" missile, which was a reduced copy of the Kappa rocket, in August 1962. After that, full-scale tests of the missile series "Kappa" and "Lambda", with parallel forcing works under the MJ program. On February 11, 1970, after four accidents, the experimental satellite was successfully led into orbit using the Lambda-4S missile ("L-4S-5"). The spacecraft "Osuma" (called in honor of the peninsula in Kagoshima Prefecture) became the first Japanese artificial satellite of the Earth. In the future, significant progress in creating a MJ class missile allowed one launch of the scientific spacecraft per year. The last generation of MJ-5 missiles was first demonstrated by the launch of the Muses-B research satellite ("Haruk") in February 1997.
After the ISAS transition to Jaxa, the cosmodrome was renamed the Space Center of the Utinur, and the launches of heavy solid propelled missiles were preserved behind it.
How the cosmic "truck" launched two years ago:


A group of Japanese corporations led by Mitsubishi build the world's first orbital power plant. Now specialists from the University of Kyoto are preparing for terrestrial tests.
The station is a group of 40 satellites equipped with solar panels. They will transmit the accumulated energy to the Earth by contactlessly using electromagnetic waves. Take a signal on the planet will be a huge "mirror", a diameter of 3 km., Which will be scented in the desert area of \u200b\u200bthe ocean.
The advantage of the orbital power plant is that it does not depend on the weather. According to experts, it will work 10 times more efficient than the earth.

The Japanese Experimental Space Sailboat Ikaros (Ikar) scored for six months, thanks to his sail, "working" due to the pressure of sunlight, additional 100 m. Per second or 360 km. per hour, the Japanese Space Agency JAXA reports.
The device was launched on May 21, 2010. Simultaneously with the research probe Akatsuki, and they went to Venus together. At the beginning of the summer, Ikar began to promote and deploy his sail - 14-meter square membrane canvas. Sail with a thickness of 7.5 microns - thinner of the human hair - made of polyimide resin, fortified by aluminum. The total mass of the device is 310 kg. In addition, it is fixed fine solar panels and blocks of liquid crystals capable of changing their reflectivity and, accordingly, the acceleration value. By switching crystals from different sides of the sail, experts calculated the direction of movement of the device.
Ikaros became the first in history. Successfully earned a space sailboat sent to an interplanetary journey. In Nar. The sailboat is at a distance of 10.5 million km. from Venus.

The success of the first in the history of the Space Sailboat is overshadowed by the failure of the mission of his "companion" - the Venusian probe "Akatsuki". Due to the abnormal response of the fuel system valve, this space station could not reach orbit around Venus and flew past. Scientists expect to repeat the attempt to bring the device into orbit around Venus six years later, when Akatsuki turns out again in the vicinity of the planet. This is reported by Russian Sosmos.

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to expand the program of satellite intelligence of minerals to Eastern and West Africa, said the Nikkei information portal. In Nar. Japan uses satellite technologies to search for metals in South Africa, such as platinum and RSM.
The Deputy Minister of this Ministry of Eshikatsu Nakayama plans this week to call on the Delegates of the Conference in South Africa on investments in the mining industry from more than 40 African countries to unite efforts with Japan in the sphere of satellite exploration in the light of the fact that there is hope for the opening of the Wolframa and Nickel fields in the eastern part of Africa And manganese - in western. Japan also seeks to intercept the initiative of China in South Africa and Zambia, where Chinese firms buy the rights to prey chromium and copper.

The President of the Japanese Cadeji Space Agency Tatikhava shared with journalists to participate in the project of the lunar base. Japanese robots could replace astronauts when performing various works on the satellite surface.
According to Taxika, robots can perform construction and geological exploration, mining minerals. As candidates, the modified variants of ASIMO and QRIO robots created by Honda and Sony corporations are considered. In addition, many earth machines and mechanisms can be adapted to use on the moon.
The twenty-year plan of the Japanese space agency is consistent with the plan adopted in 2004 by the Administration of George Bush on the creation by 2025 inhabited lunar base. The base must serve as an intermediate paragraph for landing a person on Mars.
The moon colonization project can be a significant help for the Japanese space industry that is not the best times.
Um, um ... especially with the amendment that Obama decided not to fly on the moon.

Tokyo / Tsukubai ( This is where the accelerator center and the laboratory of Kek are), 12 Apr - RIA Novosti, Sergey Kotzuba. The photo exhibition of RIA Novosti, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the first flight of a person in space, opened on Tuesday at the National Space Center of the Japanese Agency for Aerospace Research (JAXA), in the Naukograd Tsukuba.
"We aim to hold such an exhibition that would emphasize the contribution made in the development outer space Soviet, and then, Russian managed spacecraft, "said one of the organizers of the anniversary Gagarini events Takaki Takdzaki, head of the Jaxa Public Relations Department.
Photographers of the news agency "News" (predecessor RIA Novosti) were among the first Soviet journalists who photographed Gagarin, and now in the Internet archive of the agency there are about 3 thousand such images.
At the exhibition in Japan, more than 30 unique photographs from the agency archive are presented. Exposure visitors can also see the authentic sample of the Space Cosmonauts Space Tandrel, Space Settlements and a genuine magnitude model of the descendant apparatus "Union" owned by JAXA.
"Gagarin was the first to do what he did, no longer succeed for anyone," said the Administrative Department of the National Space Center to Kioko Hanari.

The photo exhibition is held in Japan the framework of a whole complex of events declared as "the main event of the current spring - cosmos then today - from the 50th anniversary of the first flight of Gagarin to Furukawa flight." Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa in this anniversary year should be delivered by the Russian Soyuz Space for the International Space Station (ISS), where he will work over six months.
Tsukuba is located 75 kilometers north-east of Tokyo, not far from the areas of the most affected by the devastating earthquake and Tsunami on March 11. The consequences of the female elements forced the administration of the Space Center located in the Tsukuba to cancel a part of the solemn events, including a week of science and technology, the opening of which was to take place on April 16.

However, according to the organizers, on the photo exhibition dedicated to the flight of Gagarin, this will not affect. The exhibition, as planned, will last until the mid-summer of 2011.

Japan rushes to the market. To space
Conquesting 25% of the world market for global earth monitoring satellites, the creation of its own spacecraft of reproductive use, construction of an astronomical observatory on the moon and network of robotic platform stations on the low and medium orbits of the Earth is just some of the goals of the Long-Term National Space Program of Japan. The explosion that occurred on May 11 at the Space Center of the Institute of Space and Aeronautics (ICA) of the Ministry of Education of Japan may make adjustments to the implementation of a number of specific space projects, but, in the opinion of experts, it is unlikely to affect the rates of fulfillment of the entire program. This means that by 2010, Japan will become a real competitor of Russia, the United States and France not only in the market of commercial launches of satellites.

Japan began to practice the practical development of space in February last year, successfully having launched its first heavy missile "Eich-2", the creation of which cost $ 2.5 billion. But at the end of this year, the National Agency for the Research Space (Way) and ICA intend to Test two newest solid fuel carriers "Jay-1" and "MJ-5". It is clearly defined in the national space program of only MJ-5 carrier, about "Jay-1" - the development of a room - there is not a word in it. At the same time, "Jay-1" can be used as a basic ballistic carrier capable of carrying a military warhead: a rocket can throw weight up to 1 ton on low orbit. True, it is possible to create a full-fledged ballistic rocket, only possessing the corresponding level of knowledge in the field of orientation and guidance systems. The lack of them was not the last reason that at the dawn of the missile nuclear confrontation of the USSR and the United States did not risk applying this weapon - there were no guarantees that rockets would fall at least a few kilometers from the goal. The rapid accumulation of experience in the field of guidance causes additional concerns about the officially not existing military aspect of the Space Program of Japan. According to ITAR-TASS, the experiments on the return to the land of space objects conducted by Tokyo as part of the program for creating a reusable shop "Hope" are successful - this means that the system of targeting objects to the specified area is improved, and the likelihood of the appearance of ballistic missiles is growing.
But both in peaceful and for military purposes, not only the rocket-building aspect of the Space Program of Japan can be used. Most recently decided to allocate $ 7 million for the development of the Japanese observation satellite. It is assumed to equip the equipment with a permitting ability to 2.5 meters. At the same time, on civilian satellites, this figure is 10 meters - on French "Spot" and 30 meters - on American "Landsat". The conclusion into space of such equipment on the alleged civilian satellites (according to the current legislation, the military use of space by the management of national defense of Japan is prohibited) will make it possible to clearly define models of aircraft, rockets, ships, and even armored vehicles, both during the day and at night, and in conditions of continuous cloudiness. The number of orbital grouping of Japan (its formation will begin in 1999-2000) by 2010 will be 30 units, and costs will exceed $ 800 million. According to official Tokyo, the system of satellites will be intended solely to monitor natural disasters and prevent natural disasters. It will also be able to use the Asian neighbors of Japan - to solve their economic or environmental problems. Naturally, not free. By the way, the explosion in the center of ICA occurred during the preparation for testing a new engine for the Rocket "Eich-2". With it, it is planned to improve this carrier in order to increase its carrying capacity when withdrawing to low orbits of beneficial goods, including alos satellites.
Japan's cosmic ambitions are addressed primarily its closest neighbors in the region, actively leading the development of their own space programs - China and India. They may simply do not have time (and everything goes) to enter the regional market not only commercial launches of satellites, but also the information market obtained with their help. The pace of the program of creating the Japanese "Shtlla" allow Tokyo to hope to press Russia in 15 years and in the market of manned flights. While it is difficult to imagine, but Japan intends to build themselves to independently, deliver its National Module "Jam" to orbit and attach to the International Space Station "Alpha". At the same time, according to ITAR-TASS, it is supposed to use its own "HOPE" shuttle ", which will be displayed in orbit, the same" Eich-2 "carrier. In general, while Japan, despite all the difficulties, confidently approaches the cherished goal - complete space independence.

Alexander Kommersant