The private development of space has been accelerated. Government-led development projects of the United States, Russia and other countries are at a turning point. It is hoped that Japan will take this opportunity to demonstrate its presence.
Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has left on a spacecraft developed by U.S. firm SpaceX for the International Space Station (ISS). It was the first full-fledged flight of this spacecraft, and Noguchi was the first non-American aboard the spacecraft.
The U.S. space shuttle had an accident in 2003. Noguchi later took part in resumed space shuttle flight operations. He also traveled in space aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 2009.
These achievements and skills were seemingly recognized by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Astronauts who have traveled aboard three types of spacecraft are rare even in the United States. At the space station, Noguchi plans to conduct medical experiments and release microsatellites, among other activities.
To date, Japan has made significant contributions, including the long-term stay of seven astronauts on the ISS and the construction of the space station's Kibo experiment module. Japan's steady fulfillment of its role within the framework of international space development can also be said to have contributed to Noguchi's flight aboard the new spacecraft this time.
SpaceX has succeeded in significantly reducing costs by taking on the difficult technical challenge of returning launched rockets to Earth for reuse. Since the retirement of the space shuttle, the company has rapidly grown partly due to the support of the U.S. government, which aims to utilize the private sector for space development.
For Japan, which has not made major progress in related technological innovation in recent years, there are many things to learn from these U.S. moves
Not only rocket technology, but also the interior of the spacecraft and the design of the spacesuits are novel and eye-catching. The launch of the spacecraft developed by the private company has rewritten the old tradition and gives the impression that space travel by ordinary people is not just a dream.
The United States has unveiled its Artemis program to construct a base on the moon as early as the late 2020s. Japan has already decided to take part in the program. It will be important for Japan to be actively involved in the fields in which Japan is strong, such as precision landing technology.
The United States reportedly hopes to have a female astronaut standing on the moon. Japan plans to start recruiting new astronauts from 2021. It is hoped that many young people will tackle the challenge of becoming the first Japanese to land on the moon.
The water resources believed to exist beneath the lunar soil could be used to support life on a lunar base, and could also be broken down into oxygen and hydrogen to fuel rockets heading to Mars. As China intends to develop such technology on its own, there are concerns that competition for natural resources on the moon could break out.
Japan should strengthen its cooperation with the United States and other countries to prevent such a situation. Noguchi and other astronauts' experience should be useful in space development of this new era.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Nov. 17, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
