. | . |
Japan Successfully Launches Experimental Space Shuttle
Japanese space officials said Friday they had successfully completed an experimental flight of a prototype space shuttle. The unmanned vehicle was launched around 5:50 am (1550 GMT Thursday), from Christmas Island in the Pacific nation of Kiribati, the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) said. The shuttle reached an altitude of around 600 meters (1,980 feet) and a speed of 290 kilometers (181 miles) per hour during the nine-and-a-half minute flight, it said. The jet-powered vehicle is 3.8 meters (12.5 feet) long and weighs 735 kilograms (1,617 pounds). It was the first flight experiment under the agency's High Speed Flight Demonstration program. NASDA said the flight enabled it to confirm the vehicle's auto pilot capability and the basic performance of its equipment. "It landed near the targeted landing point. We believe it did what we wanted it to do. Now, we will make detailed analyses," NASDA said in a statement issued after the experiment. In addition to the data collected from the test flight on the craft's navigation and communication systems, the agency also hopes to gain technical know-how about unmanned autonomous flight. The experiment was being conducted purely to collect data rather than as a stepping stone towards putting a shuttle into space. Japan's program to actually build its own version of the space shuttle has been frozen following a series of costly early setbacks with its H2-A rocket program, which is now on track to eventually compete for commercial satellite launch contracts. Related LinksSpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Japan Hopes New Rocket Will Be An Express Ride To The Galaxy Tokyo - May 8, 2002 The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) and Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. (IHI) on Wednesday told government panel of plans to develop a small commercial rocket, government officials said - dubbed GX.
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. |