Japan Brief/FPCJ, No. 0977
December 28, 2009

Japanese Astronaut Heads to Space Station Aboard Russian Soyuz

A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi, off for an extended stay in space at the International Space Station (ISS), was launched on December 21 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz successfully docked with the ISS early on December 23. During Noguchi’s approximately five-month stay aboard the ISS, he will conduct space experiments in the Japanese experiment module Kibo and will also support the operation and maintenance of the ISS and help with other countries’ experiments.

This is Noguchi’s second trip to space; the first was aboard a US Space Shuttle in 2005. He is also the second Japanese astronaut to spend a long time in space, after Koichi Wakata, who lived on the ISS for four and a half months from March 2009. The fact that Noguchi is the first official Japanese astronaut to travel round-trip from Earth aboard a Soyuz spacecraft garnered attention as this marks a turning point in Japan’s manned space flight development. The story was reported as the lead or second top story on the front page of the evening editions of three of Japan’s major newspapers, the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Asahi Shimbun, and the Mainichi Shimbun.

The Soyuz Experience and Japanese Manned Space Flight Development

Up to now, seven Japanese astronauts have participated in 12 space missions. But on 11 of those missions they traveled aboard the US Space Shuttle. A Japanese, Tokyo Broadcasting System reporter Toyohiro Akiyama, had previously journeyed to space aboard Soyuz in 1990. However, Noguchi is the first Japanese astronaut from the Japanese government’s Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to travel to space aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. Following Noguchi, two other Japanese, Satoshi Furukawa and Akihiko Hoshide, are scheduled to spend long periods in space, in 2011 and 2012 respectively, marking the start of an era when Japanese aloft in space will be a matter of course. Transport to the ISS for those missions will also be aboard Soyuz spacecraft.

The Japanese media say that this situation has come about because of the US decision to retire the Space Shuttle. After the midair explosion of the Columbia in 2003, the United States decided to develop a safe next-generation spacecraft, and the Space Shuttle will fly its last mission in 2010. Until a successor craft is ready, which is expected to be around 2015, the United States will be without a manned space vehicle, so Soyuz will be the only means of getting astronauts to and from the ISS.

Japan successfully launched its first H-2 Transfer Vehicle (HTV) unmanned spacecraft in September 2009. As discussion advances about Japan’s own manned space development (see Japan Brief No. 0953, “JAXA Successfully Launches H-2B Rocket Carrying HTV”), training with Russia and exposure to its space flight technology are also felt to be important. JAXA Executive Director Kuniaki Shiraki noted that compared with the United States, which is attempting to develop precision, high-performance technology like the Shuttle, “Russia is improving the reliability of vehicles focused on the relatively simple function of transporting humans.” Regarding the growing expectations inside JAXA that Japan will also develop manned space transport vehicles, Shiraki said that “having experience with both [the US and Russian] vehicles will be helpful to us” (Mainichi, December 21, 2009, evening edition).

Major Japanese Newspaper Editorials

Four of Japan’s five major newspapers carried editorials about Noguchi’s flight aboard Soyuz.

In its editorial on December 22, the Yomiuri said, “We can now say that the ISS is in full operation, and world space activities have entered a new age. Noguchi is expected to not only conduct space experiments for Japan, but also support the operation and maintenance of the station and experiments carried out by other countries,” and voiced expectation about its activities. Regarding Japan’s development of manned space vehicles, the Yomiuri noted, “The H-2 Transfer Vehicle, Japan’s first unmanned spacecraft, which successfully delivered materials to the ISS in September, is said to be a prototype for the nation’s manned spacecraft. The HTV can haul more than twice as much cargo as Russia’s unmanned supply spacecraft. The United States is considering using the HTV to supply materials to the ISS after the space shuttles are retired. The experience with the Soyuz spacecraft will provide Japan with pointers on what is required to turn the HTV into a manned spacecraft.”

The Asahi’s editorial on December 24 pointed out that “Despite severe fiscal restraints, Japan spends some 40 billion yen annually on the space station. It is vital to make the utmost efforts to get the most out of this massive investment.” The Asahi observed, “Japan is the only Asian country that has a laboratory on the ISS. We could use some new brilliant ideas for making strategic use of this advantageous position. One potentially good idea would be offering other Asian nations opportunities to use the Japanese lab. . . . This would be a good way for Japan to capitalize on brilliant talents in other parts of Asia while contributing to the development of the rest of Asia. It would offer great benefits for both sides.”

The Mainichi editorial of December 22 commented, “Soyuz spacecraft have made 108 successful launches since the inaugural liftoff in 1967. Early during the Soyuz program, four people lost their lives, but there has not been a fatal accident for almost 40 years. Compared with the US Space Shuttle program, in which 14 people have died in two accidents since the first flight in 1981, the Soyuz program appears relatively stable. Moreover, few launches are delayed.” Having said that, the Mainichi also called for exploring international cooperation from a long-term perspective. It noted, “International cooperation in manned space technology development has reached a turning point, and scheduled operation of the ISS extends only until 2015. . . . In its manned space technology development, Japan must carefully consider how it will cooperate not only with the United States but also with Russia and Europe.”

In its editorial on December 22 the Sankei Shimbun noted, “There is strong significance in the fact that Noguchi is learning how to pilot the Soyuz spacecraft.” As the basis for this assertion, the Sankei opined, “There are many aspects of the Soyuz rocket and the Soyuz spacecraft that Japan should learn from. It is an old system, but because of that it has a proven track record and strong reliability. It can be launched even in less than ideal weather conditions. It seems to us that Japan’s space development has pursued every cutting-edge development without waiting for the technology to mature. This approach contrasts with what Russia has done.”

(Copyright 2009 Foreign Press Center, Japan)

*Japan Brief is an original production of the Foreign Press Center, Japan, and does not represent the views of the Government of Japan or of any other body.


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