Japan In Space

Guided by genius engineer Hideo Itokawa, Japan's space program began with small scientific satellites more than 50 years ago. Since then, its space probes have travelled to the Moon, Venus, the asteroids and a comet. The country launched weather satellites to warn of typhoons, communications satellites to connect the Japanese archipelago and remote sensing satellites to watch the Earth and warn of climate change. Engineering and technology satellites became the basis of Japan's electronic industry. Japanese astronauts flew into space to work on their Kibo module on the International Space Station. Now, Japan is one of Asia's leading space powers, alongside China and India, vying for influence in the region. Its solid and liquid-fuelled rockets are estimated to be among the most advanced and reliable in the world, its technology among the best. This book examines the history of its space program, its current state of development and future. It describes its extensive infrastructure of its picturesque oceanside launch sites, training centers, testing facilities and tracking stations. It outlines the politics of space in Japan, financial difficulties, its space industry, the symbiotic relationship with the United States and the recent sharp change of course to invest in military satellites. There is the role of influential personalities, such as Hideo Shima and Shinichi Nakasuka and political leaders such as Yasuhiro Nakasone and Takeo Kawamura. The future may expect to see Japanese probes and instruments to Mercury, the moons of Mars and Jupiter, while the first Japanese astronauts will set foot on our Moon and drive cabin-size rovers across its surface.