The Planetary Society of Japan : Column

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YM COLUMN ARCHIVE

January 6, 2010

A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Space is full of topics for this year both of bad and good.

Astronaut Soichi Noguchi is already at work in International Space Station (ISS) since December 23 last year. He watered space garden plants on January 4. And he took several hours in preparing for setting up sub-arm of the main robot arm in an experimental laboratory of "KIBO". On January 5, he finished the work of setting up sub-arm.

http://iss.jaxa.jp/iss/jaxa_exp/noguchi/

Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki is scheduled to take off to ISS by “Atlantis” as a last Japanese crew of shuttle in March. She is expected to work brilliant performances up there. As reported already, she will take with her specially made 35cm koto (Japanese harp), which I heard she would most probably play up in the space.

http://iss.jaxa.jp/topics/2008/11/081111_yamazaki.html

Around summer time, “AKATSUKI”, Venus Climate Orbiter, onboard H-IIA launch vehicle is slated for sailing on for interplanetary space journey from Tanegashima Space Center together with “IKAROS”, solar power sail. On this occasion, JAXA’s Space Education Center and KU-MA (Children, Space and Future Association) have started co-working campaign of “I’ve found the first star of evening”. Following after the campaign of “Sunbeams streaming through leaves”, I hope you will enjoy observation of Venus and I also expect of your sending us the photograph images of beautiful Venus taken at various corners of this country.

AKATSUKI: http://www.stp.isas.jaxa.jp/venus/index.html

IKAROS:http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/ikaros/index_j.html

First Star:http://www.ku-ma.or.jp/spaceschool/kinsei.php

Quasi-Zenith Satellites System is soon to set off. How is GPS system of Japanese technology going to develop from now? There are hopeful expectation and uncertainty mixed up. The project team is in full spirits.

http://www.satnavi.jaxa.jp/project/qzss/index.html

This is the 40th anniversary of the successful achievement of “OHSUMI”, the first Japanese satellite. I was 28 years old then. My weight was 65 kilogram. My pictures of those days are hardly recognizable even for myself.

President Obama will announce new space strategy early February. How is the US going to cope with space in 21st century, which is really interesting to see?

Above all, how will Japanese space policy be carried out under the new government? We haven’t seen any sign of it yet. “Council for lunar exploration with outlook for manned flight” could be hardly said promising for its possible realization. We will try to work on it with all parties concerned, though.

65 kilo of my weight at the age 28 is now 100kg. At the end of last year, I had a sharp pain in my left knee not able to lift my leg even one centimeter so that I tumbled to have bruised and lacerated left ankle, left toes and knee, when I emerged from my bath and tried to step over the uneven floor level. I had experienced sharp pain in the knee ten years ago, which was given a diagnosis as “lack of lubricant due to ages”: the same pain I had of my old memory. At that time, I weighed 105kg. I happened to see Mainoumi, active sumo wrestler, at Roppongi clinic, whose weight was 98. 100 is really a bad number. I spent the first three days of New Year swathed in three bandages around my left leg.

I’m now getting a little better so that I’m almost as near as putting on my shoes. I was lucky for the bones not broken. I’m going to get a hustle on for this year! Readers, let’s have fruitful talks and meaningful practices this year with everyone altogether for joyful advancing toward future. I highly expect your joining us. Today, at the beginning of New Year, let me send you the words of Richard Buckminster Fuller whom I respect so much.

“If you consider others’ interests first, for which you devote your time and mind, and then you may feel at ease, because in time of need, heaven never fails to be on your side.” (Translated by TPS/J)

I welcome your opinions on this column to the following E-mail address.
matogawa@planetary.or.jp

(Translated by The Planetary Society of Japan)