Path: santra!tut!enea!mcvax!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!hplabs!hplabsz!kempf
From: kempf@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM (Jim Kempf)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Japan's Space "Fifth Generation"
Message-ID: <1437@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM>
Date: 19 Jan 88 18:07:58 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories
Lines: 161


Those of you who recall Ed Feigenbaum's book, "The Fifth Generation",
which was instrumental in increasing AI interest (and funding) in this country 
should note that the Japanese are doing it again. This time, they've
targeted space.

The following is a summary of an article in the Japan Journal, an 
English language translation of the Tokyo Journal. The article is
a good overview of the Japanese space program (including some of
the difficulties it faces in awaking public interest), but lacking
in technical details.

In 1984, MITI created a special panel on space development (similar
to the one which advocated the Fifth Generation). Most Japanese
industries were fairly skeptical at first, but successes such as
the Halley's Comet probes in 1985, the first X-ray satellite in
Feb. 1987, the launching of the Marine Observation Satellite the
same month, and the launching of the 84% Japanese H-1 rocket in
August 1987 have turned that around.

The unreliability of the American space shuttle and the need for secrecy,
both commercial and national defense, were cited as reasons for Japan
going it alone, by Maso Nakumura of Yomiuri Shimbun (looks like a 
newspaper). Turned around, the article points out that this argument
could be used against the Japanese (and some Japanese believe it has,
witness the fact that Saudi Arabian and German astronauts have
already flown on the space shuttle, while a Japanese has yet to
fly).

The origin of the Japanese space program is in 1955, when the University
of Tokyo built a series of "pencil" sounding rockets. In 1960, the
National Space Activities Council (NSAC) was set up within the Prime
Minister's Office. The NSAC was replaced by the Space Activities Commission
in 1968, to centralize space development policy and to advise the 
prime minister.

The two central bodies controlling the Japanese space program are the
National Space Development Agency (NASDA) and the Institute of Space
and Astronautical Science (ISAS), the later in the Ministry of Education.
NASDA controls about 90% of the alloted space development budget,
which is $730 million, about the same amount Toyota spent to develop
the original Corolla. Most of NASDA's money goes toward practical 
equipment, like broadcast satellites. ISAS's share is used for scientific
applications, such as launching and maintaining weather satellites.
Since there is little money, failures are not tolerated. When Toshiba's
BS-2 stopped working because the transponder broke, the contract for
the next satellite was given to NEC (contrast this to how Morton Thiokol
is still being allowed to continue manufacturing the SRB's). The
entire budget is about 1/10 the size of NASA and not concerned with
military purposes...yet. The Diet restricted launching to "peaceful"
objects in 1969, but the Self Defense Agency is trying to interpret
this as allowing monitoring, as long as they are not used for 
destructive purposes. The Sakura 2A communications satellite, launched
in Feb. 1983, is being used for broadcasting military communications
to outlying islands. 

Recently, there has been a change in policy indicating a speeded up
program. The Space Development Commission (the MITI Commission), chaired 
by Yataro Mitsubayashi  (also Director-General of STA) announced in May 1987 
that Japan would be building its own fleet of space shuttles. 
Japanese scientists are now working on soft-landing mechanisms 
for exploring the dark side of the moon, and 
designers are beginning to plan colonies on the moon
and elsewhere. The catalyst for this change was Reagan's announcement
of $8 billion (now up to $32 billion) for the space station. 

Tsueneo Kakimi, who now is in Nissan's rocketry program, was originally
with the "pencil" program. He thinks that materials processing is
important to begin soon, on the Japanese Spacelab flight. 

Large picture of JEM-the Japan Experimental Module. Consists of 3 parts:
pressurized module, logistics module and an exposed facility. The
first is connected to the orbiting space lab (presumably the Space
Station) via an air lock and will be used as a laboratory. The second
sits atop the first and forms a storage area for consumables. The third
is an arm and platform for manipulating material experiments (Note:
Yasahiro Nakasone was recently in Canada, and the media had a picture
of him visiting the plant where the Canada arm was built, along with
Brian Mulrony (sp?)). The JEM is being built by STA in cooperation
with NASDA. It is 120 meters long and 90 meters wide. Each section
will be manufactured by a different company: the tank by Mitsubishi,
the platform by Nissan, the arm by Toshiba (under license from Canada?),
the control room by NEC. The Japanese are most excited about electrophoresis,
and have signed an agreement with McDonnell Douglas for use of their
technology.

There is a discussion of the need for a Pacific Basin Spaceport (see
companion posting on a plan by the Hawai'ian development commission
to put one on the Big Island). Such a port would serve as a focal
point for space construction and activity in the Pacific Basin,
including perhaps a Pacific Space University. The immediate need,
however, is to avoid the expensive dogleg needed to get into
equatorial orbit from higher latitudes. 

Silloutte of NASDA Satellite Launch Vehicles, both existing and proposed.
Here are the statistics:

N-I. Operated from 1975-1980, flew 7 flights, had a payload capacity
of 130 kg. to GEO. About 32 meters tall.

N-II. Operated from 1981-1986, flew 8 flights, had a payload capacity of
350 kg to GEO. About 35 meters tall.

H-I. Projected to operate from 1987-1991, for 8 flights, has a payload
capacity of 550 kg to GEO. About 40 meters tall.

H-II. Planned to operate from 1992-?. Payload capacity of 2000 kg.
About 47 meters tall. This would lift the Japanese space shuttle.

Biographies of the three Japanese Payload Specialists for the space
shuttle. They are Dr. Chiaki Mukai (cardiologist), Dr. Mamoru Mohri
(materials science), and Dr. Takao Doi (materials science). Interviews
also. Most notable was their delight at having 3 bedroom houses in
the U.S. and how nice it was to be able to barbacue in their back
yards.

Problems. The Japanese program is very cost-ineffective because of
the emphasis on home-grown technology. American pressure (and
Japanese reluctance, due the the Lockheed Scandal of the mid-70's)
has led to no real home-grown Japanese aerospace industry. The
liquid fueled LE-5 engine in the second stage of the H-I is produced
under American license and will be a model for the LE-7, the power
train in the H-II. The first all-Japanese guidence system (NICE)
is only 6 months old and Japan has no solid rocket capability at
all. Also, Japan is going for 2 stage launchers, as opposed  to the
three stage launchers which ESA and NASA use, because they think
2 stages will be more efficient. There is also the danger of shortcuts.
None of the payload specialists have a pilot's license, nor any space
time at all. Questionable whether they could take over the shuttle
controls in case of an accident (a pilot's license is very expensive
in Japan). Also, the Halley's Comet flyby (Planet A) was put into orbit
using direct injection rather than an elliptical slingshot, because
it would reduce costs. ISAS Deep Space Center's Dr. Tomonao Hayashi
says that they did it that way because they didn't have a backup rocket.
Also, they wanted maximum news coverage.

Problems with public support. The oft-cited problem of having to suspend
launches due to fishermen is discussed. In general, there is little or
no grass roots support, like NSS and space camps. More seriously, the
promise of outer space does not particuarly capture the Japanese imagination.
Until the Meji Period (1868-1912), the Japanese were so inward looking
that they had no comprehensive system of astronomy, a failing which hurts
to this day, since there is no well known international astronomer of
Japanese origin and a very weak astronomical program in general. 

However, space is being seen as a way of developing national pride. The
English block letters NIPPON are stenciled on the side of the H-I. 
Nippon was the offical name for Japan during the period of intense
nationalism before and during WWII (until recently, "Nihon" was preferred).
This indicates a return to nationalism via. the language, since an
alternative would be to label the rocket with the appropriate kanji or
katakana characters. So, besides obvious mercentile interests, many
Japanese see space as a way to reassert their national pride, when they
are under attack in other areas.

Hope this can be of interest. The article is in the January issue of
the Japan Journal, and was written by Glen Davis.

		Jim Kempf	kempf@hplabs.hp.com


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