[FPSPACE] Japan's shuttle crash lands in Sweden...
Peter Pesavento
eagles267@wwainc.com
Wed, 2 Jul 2003 13:45:36 -0400
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Jul 2, 2003
Japan's First Space Shuttle Crash Lands in Sweden
By Hans Greimel
Associated Press Writer=20
TOKYO (AP) - Japan's delta-wing space shuttle approached the speed of =
sound while cruising over Sweden, but tumbled into a field moments later =
- a crash landing that was the latest setback for Japan's space program. =
The shuttle, an unmanned craft only 12.5-feet long, took flight Tuesday, =
lifted by a stratospheric balloon 13 miles above a test site in northern =
Sweden.=20
The shuttle was then released and hit speeds up to Mach 0.8 during its =
5-minute plunge. Scientists at Japan's National Space Development Agency =
monitored the flight for data on high speed acceleration and =
aerodynamics.=20
But as the shuttle barreled toward Earth, two of the craft's three =
parachutes failed to open properly and the craft crashed into a field, =
breaking its left wing and nose cone.=20
"From a scientific perspective, it was a success because we collected =
the data we were looking for," space agency spokesman Hiroaki Sato said =
Wednesday. "But because of the landing, we are unsure if we can continue =
the test flights."=20
Two more test flights had been planned in Sweden, each faster than the =
last.=20
Japan's space shuttle is not expected to be a competitor to NASA's =
craft. The U.S. program was suspended this year when the shuttle =
Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry, killing its seven crew members.=20
Besides being much smaller and unmanned, the Japanese system is the =
prototype for a program - the Hope-X project - that was recently put on =
ice because of budget cuts.=20
Hope-X, started in the 1980s to develop a reusable unmanned space =
shuttle, was originally slated for launch in 2004. But lack of funds =
pushed it four years behind schedule before it was postponed.=20
The Japanese space agency has not said whether the Hope-X might be =
resurrected, but said Tuesday's flight was intended to gather data for =
future projects.=20
Japan budgeted $22.4 million for two rounds of tests on the shuttle, =
those in Sweden and an earlier one on Christmas Island in the Pacific =
Ocean that was largely successful.=20
Japan has sent an unmanned probe into lunar orbit and recently unveiled =
plans for a joint European mission that would be the first to land a =
probe on Mercury. The country is struggling to compete in the commercial =
satellite launching market and has suffered a checkered record of =
technical successes and failures.=20
Japan's Mars-bound probe is years behind schedule, low on fuel and might =
not reach the planet. A February launch of Japan's H-2A rocket ended in =
failure with one of the probes lost in space. The project got a boost a =
month later, when Japan successfully launched its first spy satellites.=20
AP-ES-07-02-03 1214EDT=20
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><!--StartFragment --><FONT =
face=3D"Times New Roman"=20
size=3D3> </FONT>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>Jul 2, =
2003</FONT></P>
<H2><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>Japan's =
First Space=20
Shuttle Crash Lands in Sweden</FONT></H2><FONT=20
face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>By Hans =
Greimel<BR>Associated=20
Press Writer <BR><BR>TOKYO (AP) - Japan's delta-wing space shuttle =
approached=20
the speed of sound while cruising over Sweden, but tumbled into a field =
moments=20
later - a crash landing that was the latest setback for Japan's space =
program.=20
</FONT>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>The shuttle, =
an unmanned=20
craft only 12.5-feet long, took flight Tuesday, lifted by a =
stratospheric=20
balloon 13 miles above a test site in northern Sweden. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>The shuttle =
was then=20
released and hit speeds up to Mach 0.8 during its 5-minute plunge. =
Scientists at=20
Japan's National Space Development Agency monitored the flight for data =
on high=20
speed acceleration and aerodynamics. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>But as the =
shuttle=20
barreled toward Earth, two of the craft's three parachutes failed to =
open=20
properly and the craft crashed into a field, breaking its left wing and =
nose=20
cone. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>"From a =
scientific=20
perspective, it was a success because we collected the data we were =
looking=20
for," space agency spokesman Hiroaki Sato said Wednesday. "But because =
of the=20
landing, we are unsure if we can continue the test flights." </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>Two more =
test flights=20
had been planned in Sweden, each faster than the last. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>Japan's =
space shuttle is=20
not expected to be a competitor to NASA's craft. The U.S. program was =
suspended=20
this year when the shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry, killing =
its=20
seven crew members. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>Besides =
being much=20
smaller and unmanned, the Japanese system is the prototype for a program =
- the=20
Hope-X project - that was recently put on ice because of budget cuts.=20
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>Hope-X, =
started in the=20
1980s to develop a reusable unmanned space shuttle, was originally =
slated for=20
launch in 2004. But lack of funds pushed it four years behind schedule =
before it=20
was postponed. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>The Japanese =
space=20
agency has not said whether the Hope-X might be resurrected, but said =
Tuesday's=20
flight was intended to gather data for future projects. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>Japan =
budgeted $22.4=20
million for two rounds of tests on the shuttle, those in Sweden and an =
earlier=20
one on Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean that was largely =
successful.=20
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>Japan has =
sent an=20
unmanned probe into lunar orbit and recently unveiled plans for a joint =
European=20
mission that would be the first to land a probe on Mercury. The country =
is=20
struggling to compete in the commercial satellite launching market and =
has=20
suffered a checkered record of technical successes and failures. =
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>Japan's =
Mars-bound probe=20
is years behind schedule, low on fuel and might not reach the planet. A =
February=20
launch of Japan's H-2A rocket ended in failure with one of the probes =
lost in=20
space. The project got a boost a month later, when Japan successfully =
launched=20
its first spy satellites. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3Dverdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif =
size=3D2>AP-ES-07-02-03 1214EDT=20
</FONT></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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