Moon to Turn Japanese?
Japan. Robots. The moon. Need I say more?
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan is considering putting a robot on the moon by 2020 and an astronaut by 2030, a report from a government office showed on Friday, amid fears that the country will be left behind in Asia’s space race.
The plans follow China’s first space walk and India’s launch of their first unmanned moon mission last year. Beijing officials have said that China is looking to eventually put astronauts on the moon, though the government has not revealed any schedule. …
A space development panel also discussed on Friday the possibility of Japan eventually starting its own manned space program, a government official said.
“Some experts are concerned that unless there is an independent program, then Japan may be left behind in terms of space development,” said an official from the Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy (SHSP), under the Cabinet Office. “If large scale space development projects, such as moon probes or space solar power system, are conducted, not only robots but also people will have to be there. The technology of manned space programs will certainly become the foundation in such cases,” he said.
Frank says: