Japan and Materials Science
As indicated in Section 4.4.3 above, Japan will play a vital role in the EXPRESS microgravity program underway with Germany by providing the necessary launch services with its M3SII booster. If the EXPRESS program is successful, the M-3SII could be replaced by the forthcoming M-5 or J-I boosters later in the decade.
Until 1992, Japan's opportunities for microgravity research were largely restricted to small sounding rocket flights, principally with the TR-IA. By the end of 1994 three flights of the TR-IA had been conducted (September, 1991; August,1992; and September, 1993) specifically to prepare experiments for JEM on the International Space Station. However, interest in orbital materials research is growing rapidly, and a late start in this field may be overcome through a variety of programs slated for the remainder of this decade (Reference 777).
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