The activities of the Japanese Space Agency in 2009
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The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) issued on 8 April its plan for fiscal year 2009, which began on 1 April. This year will be especially marked by the completion of the Japanese module of the International Space Station (ISS) and the first launch of the new heavy launch vehicle H-IIB. This rocket was developed mainly to launch the Japanese HTV cargo to the ISS, so that Japan can meet its commitments to its partners in this program. The launch of H-IIB, which is expected in September, will be crucial for two reasons
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) issued on 8 April its plan for fiscal year 2009, which began on 1 April. This year will be especially marked by the completion of the Japanese module of the International Space Station (ISS) and the first launch of the new heavy launch vehicle H-IIB. This rocket was developed mainly to launch the Japanese HTV cargo to the ISS, so that Japan can meet its commitments to its partners in this program. The launch of H-IIB, which is expected in September, will be crucial for two reasonsbecause it will carry the first copy of the HTV cargo.
Concerning the infrastructure of the station, the Japanese module is almost complete, and will only send the external platform that will link the main Kibo module installed. This will be done at a flight of the U.S. shuttle Endeavor scheduled June 13 .But JAXA did not wait for the completion of Kibo to start its experimental program: it has indeed been started since 2008 and is ongoing. Astronaut Koichi WAKATA is conducting even a long stay in the station until June 2009.The next Japanese astronaut, Soichi Noguchi M., starting in December 2009 on a Soyuz rocket and to spend six months. During the shuttle flight in June 2009, JAXA will also MAXI instrument, which will be installed on the platform outside of Kibo.MAXI mission will be conducting a map of our universe in the radiation field X.
In September, the first cargo HTV will carry the SMILES instrument that will probe Earth's atmosphere from the platform of Kibo. No flight of launch vehicle H-IIA standard is scheduled for 2009, but JAXA is pursuing the development of several satellites to be launched the following years. In the theme of Earth observation, JAXA is developing the satellite and GCOM GCOM-W1-C1, and the radar measurement of precipitation that will be provided in the United States for the GPM mission and Europe's Earth Care mission. For the continental observation and risk management, work is continuing on study missions ALOS and ALOS-2-3 and on a whole new concept of satellite at very low altitude called Slate. The Agency does not require a new mission in the field of telecommunications after the launch of test satellites ETS-VIII and WINDS. In the field of positioning and navigation, JAXA prepares always the first satellite in the constellation QZSS regionally to complement the GPS system.
In the theme of Sciences of the Universe, JAXA prepares mission Venusian PLANET-C mission Bepi-Colombo Mercury with Europe, the radio astronomy mission ASTRO-G, the X-ray astronomy mission ASTRO-H, and Mission infrared astronomy SPICA. In the field of exploration, JAXA is also developing the lunar mission SELENE-2 and the upcoming mission to study asteroid. Finally, instead of JAXA in the new institutional framework of the Japanese public space remains to be clarified. His responsibilities will be specified by the publication of "Plan Fondamental Space" at the end of May 2009.
Posted by admin
on Jul 19th, 2009 and filed under Space News.
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