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Aerospace Plane Technology: Research and Development Efforts in Japan and Australia GAO/NSIAD-92-5 October 1991 |
GAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 25
Chapter 2
Japanese Space Policies and Aerospace Goals and Objectives
Japan does not have an established national research and
development program to build an aerospace plane. However, Japan's
aerospace goals and objectives include plans for developing a
space transportation system motivated, in part, by its desire for
autonomy and a reliable space launch vehicle. Japan's objectives
are to secure an independent manned access to space and make
launching payloads into orbit more economically viable. According
to the High Commissioner of the Space Activities Commission, who
advises the Japanese Prime Minister on space activities, and the
Director for Space Transportation Research in the Science and
Technology Agency, Japan does not intend to use the knowledge
gained in hypersonic technology development programs at this time
to develop future supersonic and hypersonic commercial transport
aircraft.
The Japanese government and industry are conducting concept
studies and developing the critical or enabling technologies
necessary for future air-breathing aerospace vehicles through
various national programs. Development of a flight demonstrator
to validate the technologies and actual flight testing of an
unmanned or manned[1] aerospace vehicle is also expected to be a
Japanese national effort. However, building any future
operational Japanese aerospace vehicle would require an
international effort.
Space Policies and Aerospace Goals and Objectives for Developing Air-Breathing Aerospace Vehicles
The Challenger accident in January 1986 delayed the launch of several Japanese space programs and provided a strong impetus to the Japanese desire for autonomy in space transportation. The Japanese realized their space plans, particularly those with commercial implications, had been too dependent upon the United States--a nation, at times, perceived as less technologically reliable than Japan. Also, the Japanese desire for autonomy in space has been driven by U.S. technology transfer policies, which have been particularly irritating to the Japanese. For example, the United States would not permit the use of U.S. technology in any Japanese launch vehicle used for foreign commercial launches. As a result, the Japanese are now developing the H-II launch vehicle using only Japanese technology. According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials, the Challenger accident and the difficult negotiations over questions of partnership and access to the planned U.S. space station caused Japan to reexamine its space program.1. Actual flight testing of a manned Japanese aerospace vehicle has not been scheduled.
GAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 26 Japan's space policy, contained in the Fundamental Guidelines for Space Policy, provides the basis for planning, programming, and promoting specific space development activities. The policy is intended to guide Japan's space activities for the next 15 years. Revised by the Space Activities Commission in June 1989, the Fundamental Guidelines state that it is essential for Japan to maintain and advance independent space transportation technology to meet future space activities. After developing the H-II launch vehicle and HOPE spaceplane, Japan intends to develop anunmanned reusable space transportation system. The Fundamental Guidelines state that when the planned U.S. space station becomes operational, Japan will initially rely on manned vehicles of other countries for transporting Japanese crew members to and from the Japanese Experimental Module of the space station. At the same time, basic and advanced research will be conducted on a manned spaceplane. As research progresses, the spaceplane's feasibility as a development program will be evaluated. The establishment of a technological base and, to a much lesser extent, the development and utilization of space, are targeted by the Japanese government as space activities critical to Japan's stimulation of industrial growth. According to the Executive Director of the Space Development Agency, Japan desires to acquire key space technologies and wants to build a technology base that will enable it to play an important role in world space activities. Japanese industry, perhaps more so than any other country's industry, recognizes the commercial potential of space manufacturing and transportation systems and plans to exploit that opportunity. Figure 2.1 illustrates the scope and magnitude of planned Japanese space activities in the 21st century, including a spaceplane.
GAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 27 Figure 2.1: Japanese Space Activities in the 21st Century Japan recognizes it needs to develop efficient space transportation systems to meet the expanding demands of future space efforts. According to the High Commissioner of the Space Activities Commission and the
GAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 28 Director for Space Transportation Research in the Science and Technology Agency, Japan's objective to develop an efficient space transportation system is not to establish manned, permanent facilities in space. Accordingly, the Japanese government has not officially approved a plan to develop and build an aerospace plane. Even the development phase of the HOPE project has not been formally approved by the Japanese government. According to a Ministry of International Trade and Industry official, horizontal takeoff and landing aerospace vehicles are still vague concepts. The Ministry official said he did not know which aerospace plane concept the government will decide to pursue. This was confirmed by the High Commissioner of the Space Activities Commission who told us a date for deciding whether to build a spaceplane has not been determined and no decision has been made regarding which spaceplane concept Japan will pursue. The United States also has not approved a plan to build an aerospace plane. In fact, no commitment exists to build the X-30 experimental vehicle. A decision on whether to build and test the X-30, based primarily on cost and the maturity of the technologies, is expected to be made in April 1993. In 1986 the Science and Technology Agency's Advisory Committee on Space Plane was established to review Japan's long-term research and development of a spaceplane. The Committee recommended that:
- space transportation systems, such as spaceplanes, should be fundamental elements of Japan's vision of a space infrastructure to promote future space activities;
- development of spaceplanes is indispensable to Japan's autonomous space activities;
- spaceplanes will improve international space launch options by eliminating the current reliance on limited launch means; and
- spaceplane research and development efforts would provide a technology base for the development of next-generation hypersonic transports.
GAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 29 fulfill this requirement. The Committee recommended that development of a spaceplane should be advanced as a national goal for Japan. As shown previously in figure 2. 1, a future Japanese spaceplane is just one part of a much larger commercial space infrastructure that is dependent on advanced technology. The future Japanese spaceport design concept shown in figure 2.2 indicates the Japanese are concentrating not just on development of a spaceplane, but on the supporting infrastructure as well. According to Japanese government officials, Japan views space as a way to let the rest of the world know that it has a technologically advanced society. The Japanese government views space activity as a field that requires international cooperation, rather than as a field that demonstrates the advancement of space-related technology. Proposals for spaceports in Japan are part of a planning process not seen in the United States or Europe to build a consensus within Japanese society for developing a future spaceplane and its accompanying infrastructure. Such proposals not only provide for future regional economic development, but also serve as a link between development of a spaceplane and the Japanese people. The Japanese are selling the idea of spaceports to the general public, since competition will be for the entire space infrastructure, not just a spaceplane. Additional Japanese spaceport concepts are discussed in chapter 3.
GAO/NSIAD-92-5 -- page 30 Figure 2.2: Future Japanese Spaceport Design Concept
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