Japanese Space Program

Japan successfully tested Tuesday a rocket engine that was propelled by new technology using shock waves produced by burning a mixture of methane and oxygen gasses, with the aim of applying the propulsion method to deep space exploration in the future, the country's space agency said.
[...]
JAXA is currently developing technology that will allow it to utilize a rocket engine just one-10th of the current size that can also stay in space for extended periods.

Jiro Kasahara, a Nagoya University professor, jointly developing the technology with JAXA, said the test demonstrated that the engine maintained a propelling force in space as expected.
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japantoday.com

Japan successfully tests rocket engine propelled by new technology

Japan successfully tested Tuesday a rocket engine that was propelled by new technology using shock waves produced by burning a mixture of methane and oxygen gasses, with the aim of applying the propulsion method to deep space exploration in the future, the country's space agency said. The No. 31...
japantoday.com japantoday.com
 

Israel’s Helios hitches ride on Japan lunar lander in bid to make oxygen on Moon

Startup signs accord to join second and third ispace missions; seeks to prove its oxygen-from-Moon-sand tech works in no-gravity conditions
www.timesofisrael.com www.timesofisrael.com
The Japanese ambassador to Israel, Mizushima Koichi, hosted a signing ceremony between the Israeli and Japanese companies for the two memorandum of understandings (MoU), in which ispace will deliver Helios’ technology to the lunar surface onboard ispace’s lander by the end of 2023 and mid-2024.

Helios’ payloads, called Lunar Extractor – 1 and Lunar Extractor – 2, aim to demonstrate the production of oxygen and metals from the local resources.
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science.slashdot.org

Japan Successfully Tests Possible Deep-Space Rocket Technology - Slashdot

Futurism reports: Japan's space agency JAXA has announced that is has successfully demonstrated the operation of a "rotary detonation engine" in space, a world's first. Such an engine uses a series of controlled explosions that travel around a circular channel at its base. The result is a...
science.slashdot.org
 
robunos said:
Japan developing wooden satellites to cut space junk

www.bbc.co.uk

Japan developing wooden satellites to cut space junk

A Japanese forestry firm has partnered with Kyoto University in what would be a world first.
www.bbc.co.uk

cheers,
Robin.
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The latest development on that:
mainichi.jp

Japan team eyeing wooden satellite launch to test how material changes in space - The Mainichi

KYOTO -- A team of researchers in Japan aiming to launch the world's first wooden satellite that will not pollute the Earth's atmosphere upon reentry
mainichi.jp mainichi.jp



Though there has been some scepticism about the idea. For example, from back in December:
https://arstechnica.com/science/202...uing-idea-but-wont-solve-space-junk-problems/
 
Grey Havoc said:
www.thedrive.com

Japan's New 'Lunar Cruiser' Moon Rover Is Named After the Toyota Land Cruiser

Overlanding on the moon in a 6x6, hydrogen fuel cell-powered Toyota, anyone?
www.thedrive.com www.thedrive.com
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A minor update via the above article:
Gitai Japan Inc., a venture contracted with Toyota, has developed a robotic arm for the Lunar Cruiser, designed to perform tasks such as inspection and maintenance. Its “grapple fixture” allows the arm’s end to be changed so it can work like different tools, scooping, lifting and sweeping.
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Japanese-NASA X-ray Observatory Stands Tall as Testing Begins

“In May, the spacecraft components – including its two instruments, named Resolve and Xtend – were mechanically and electrically integrated onto the observatory for the first time,” said Project Manager Lillian Reichenthal at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “This was a significant milestone in the development of the spacecraft for JAXA.”

Having all of the systems installed initiates a new round of spacecraft testing to ensure everything works well together. Engineers integrate and test the equipment at different stages – first individual components, then assembled systems and instruments, and finally the full observatory. These tests subject the spacecraft and instruments to the conditions expected during launch and space operations.

In another milestone, testing and calibration of two identical, Goddard-built X-ray Mirror Assemblies (XMAs) was completed, and the mirrors were shipped to Japan in late May and early June. The XMAs underwent separate environmental testing and will receive their final optical alignment before being installed on each instrument in the fall.

The Resolve instrument will precisely measure low-energy X-rays to extract information about the physical state and motion of ionized gases associated with supernova remnants, galaxy clusters, and outflows streaming from supermassive black holes in active galaxies. The Xtend instrument, detecting X-rays of similar energy, will produce images with a field of view about 150 times larger than Resolve, extending XRISM’s cosmic grasp.

“The science from XRISM will be extraordinary,” said Goddard’s Brian Williams, the NASA project scientist for the mission. “The Resolve instrument promises to open a new window on the high-energy universe.” Resolve’s detector system was also developed at Goddard.

XRISM is expected to launch in 2023 on a JAXA HII-A rocket from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center.
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spacewatch.global

ispace HAKUTO-R Lunar Lander Arrives in Cape Canaveral - SpaceWatch.Global

Lagos, 1 November 2022. - ispace, inc., a private Japanese company developing robotic spacecraft tec
spacewatch.global spacewatch.global
1667760899592.png
ORIGINAL CAPTION: The M1 lander, part of the HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program, is prepared for transport
at the IABG GmbH Space Centre in Germany. Credit: ispace Inc.
Lagos, 1 November 2022. – ispace, inc., a private Japanese company developing robotic spacecraft technologies, has announced that it has delivered its Mission 1 (M1) lunar lander, part of the company’s HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program, to the United States and is now in Cape Canaveral, Florida. In addition, ispace announced an updated launch window for M1.

In careful coordination with SpaceX, both sides agreed to target no earlier than November 22, 2022, for the launch of the HAKUTO-R M1. This updated target launch date allows for the best preparation for the mission when considering the fuel-loading schedule for the lander and launch date availability. As a result, the company will announce the updated launch date as soon as they confirm it.

“This mission will be a historic first not only for our company but also for the development of the cislunar economy,” said Takeshi Hakamada, Founder and CEO of ispace. “On our first mission, we are honored to work with NASA to complete a commercial transaction of lunar regolith and carry payloads from agencies including JAXA and MBRSC along with our commercial customers and partners. I am very proud of our team for their work to make this a reality. I look forward to this launch as well as our subsequent missions in the near future.”

Following the launch, ispace will operate the M1 from the HAKUTO-R Mission Control Center (MCC) in Tokyo’s central business district, Nihonbashi. The MCC will monitor the lander’s attitude, operational state, and other conditions, send commands and data to the lander, and receive images and telemetry, among other data, during transit to the Moon and from the lunar surface.

M1 will utilize the European Space Agency (ESA) ground station network. Furthermore, it will use five of the ESTRACK network’s antennas across three continents, located in Kourou (French Guiana), New Norcia (Western Australia), Cebreros (Spain), Malargüe (Argentina), and Goonhilly (UK).

The company completed the lander’s assembly at the end of May at ArianeGroup GmbH’s (AGG) facility in Lampoldshausen, Germany. Upon completion of the flight model integration, the engineers packed and shipped the lander from the AGG facility to the IABG GmbH Space Centre in Ottobrun, Germany, where it underwent final testing, including vibration tests, thermal vacuum tests, mass property, and functional testing, among others, to prove its readiness for the harsh extremes of space.
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spacewatch.global

Zimbabwe and Uganda to Launch their First Satellites - SpaceWatch.Global

Ibadan, 20 October 2022. - Zimbabwe and Uganda have finalized preparations to launch their respectiv
spacewatch.global spacewatch.global
Ibadan, 20 October 2022. – Zimbabwe and Uganda have finalized preparations to launch their respective first satellites into space on 6 November 2022. The satellites, ZimSat-1, and PearlAfricaSat-1, are both 1U CubeSats and will launch into space as part of the BIRDS-5 constellation, which also includes a 2U CubeSat from Japan. Generally, the satellites will launch as beneficiaries of the Joint Global Multi-Nations Birds Satellite project, an initiative of the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and the Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech).

The launch will occur at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility aboard the Northrop Grumman (NG-18 Cygnus) commercial cargo resupply services to the International Space Station (ISS) on behalf of NASA. After the ISS receives the satellites, it will deploy them into orbit later.

BIRDS-5 will perform multispectral observations of Earth using a commercial off-the-shelf camera and demonstrate a high-energy electronic measuring instrument. The statistical data it collects will help distinguish bare ground from forest and farmland and possibly indicate the quality of agricultural growth. As a result, it may help improve the livelihood of the citizens of Uganda and Zimbabwe.

A cross-border University project, BIRDS provides students from developing nations with hands-on satellite development, laying a foundation for similar space technology projects in their home countries that ultimately could lead to sustainable space programs there. Students from participating nations enroll in the Graduate school of Engineering of the Kyushu Institute of Technology as Master’s or Doctoral degree students in the Space Engineering International course to execute this project.
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japannews.yomiuri.co.jp

JAXA conducts engine firing test on H3 rocket

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) conducted an engine firing test on its new H3 rocket at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on Monday.
japannews.yomiuri.co.jp japannews.yomiuri.co.jp

japannews.yomiuri.co.jp

Japan to agree to extend ISS operations until 2030

The Japanese government intends to agree to a U.S. proposal to extend the operation of the International Space Station until 2030, thereby delaying the station’s planned retirement for six years, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
japannews.yomiuri.co.jp japannews.yomiuri.co.jp
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1597198625439993856
View: https://twitter.com/ispace_hakuto_r/status/1597198625439993856


＼HAKUTO-R Mission 1 Ready for launch ／
All development processes for the lander have been completed for the launch of the private lunar exploration program "HAKUTO-R" Mission 1, and installation on the #Falcon9 rocket has been completed. Click here for details:
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ispace-inc.com

ispace

Ispace is a private lunar robotic exploration company that is developing micro-robotic technology to provide a low-cost and frequent transportation service to and on the Moon, conduct lunar surface exploration to map, process and deliver resources to our customers in cislunar space.
ispace-inc.com

ispace completes launch preparations for mission 1

November 28, 2022
It will be launched on November 30, 2022 from Space Force Station Cape Canaveral on a Falcon 9 rocket.

ispace Co., Ltd. (Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Takeshi Hakamada, hereinafter ispace) has completed all the development processes of the lander for the launch of the private lunar exploration program "HAKUTO-R" Mission 1, and transferred it to the Falcon9 rocket. We are pleased to inform you that the installation of the

The flight model of the lander (lunar lander) used in Mission 1 was transported to Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA in late October, and the rocket fairing (loading the payload at the tip of the rocket) was carried out at the facility near the launch site. part). Installation of the launch vehicle fairing has now been completed, completing the first stage of Mission 1 Milestone, "Success 1". ispace continues to prepare for the launch day at the control room in Nihonbashi.

■ Comment from Takeshi Hakamada, CEO & Founder of ispace Co., Ltd.

We are delighted to have completed the first phase of the Mission 1 Milestone as planned. It is a feat that we should be proud of that we have achieved so far with private capital in a short period of about 6 years since the conception started in 2016. In order to carry out reliable development in a short period of time in the private sector, we will adopt proven technologies and materials from around the world, stick to a design and development policy that strikes a balance between reliability and low cost, and acquire customers and support the development. All of our efforts, including fundraising and organization building, have come to fruition with the successful installation of the launcher on Success 1. I would like to once again express my gratitude to all the employees and related parties who worked hard to realize Mission 1. The next stage will be initial critical operations on launch day. We will continue to be vigilant and make the necessary preparations.

■ Mission 1 Milestones in 10 Stages

In Mission 1, 10 stages of milestones have been set from launch to landing, and we aim to achieve the success criteria set for each. Even if some kind of problem occurs during the mission, after accurately grasping the results such as the data and know-how obtained up to that point, we will move on to the following mission 2 and mission 3 that will contribute to the Artemis project by 2025. We plan to raise the reliability and maturity of our technology and business model to a level sufficient for commercialization. We plan to disclose the progress of each milestone in a timely manner.

■ Mission 1 Milestone Details

■ HAKUTO-R Mission 1 Payload

A payload can be mounted on the top of the lander, and 7 payloads are scheduled to be transported in Mission 1.

■ HAKUTO-R's corporate partner NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.'s solid-state battery
■ MBRSC's lunar exploration rover Rashid, UAE Dubai's government space agency
■ JAXA's transformable lunar robot
■ One of the LEAPs by the Canadian Space Agency MCSS's AI flight computer that was adopted for 2016
■ Canadensys' camera that was adopted as one of the LEAP by the Canadian Space Agency
■ Panel engraved with the names of HAKUTO's crowdfunding supporters
■HAKUTO's cheering song Music disc containing Sakanaction's "SORATO" music source
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