Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=08/31/2001

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

NUMBER=5-50039

TITLE=JAPAN/SPACE PROGRAM

BYLINE=AMY BICKERS

DATELINE=TOKYO

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Japan's successful launch of a new rocket this week has raised hopes for building a Japanese space industry for both commercial and intelligence gathering purposes. As V-O-A's Amy Bickers reports from Tokyo, experts say Japan still has much to prove before it can gain international credibility in the satellite launching business.

TEXT: Japan's aerospace triumph came after several costly and embarrassing failures.

/// SFX ROCKET LAUNCH, FADE UNDER ///

On Wednesday, the country's next generation H-2A rocket blasted off from Tanegashima Space Center, a thousand kilometers southwest of Tokyo. About 40 minutes later, it successfully placed a dummy test satellite into orbit.

The launch of the 53-meter orange and black rocket was viewed as critical to the survival of Japan's space program, which suffered after several launch failures. In 1998, controllers at Japan's National Space Development Agency had to intentionally explode a rocket in air to keep it from careening off course.

Atsutaro Watanabe is the director of Japan's H-2A rocket program. He says that controllers applauded gleefully Wednesday after they received confirmation that the new rocket had fulfilled its mission.

/// WATANABE ACT ///

We are very satisfied and we are also relieved. We experienced two failures with H-2A's predecessor, the H-2. This is the first launch of the new vehicle. In general the success rate for the new launch is not very high. Before the launch we had a lot of pressure.

/// END ACT ///

There were concerns that another failure would doom Japan's space program, which costs taxpayers about two-billion dollars a year.

Shuichiro Yamanouchi, director of Japan's space agency, told reporters that this launch has helped the program regain the confidence of the Japanese people.

Paul Kallendar covers the Japanese space industry for the Electrical Engineering Times, a U-S based publication. He says that despite the success, Japan must continue to prove that this spacecraft will launch effectively time and time again.

/// FIRST KALLENDAR ACT ///

This launch was a great showcase of Japanese technology in one sense. In a larger sense, however, the rocket still remains unproven. One successful launch does not make that rocket reliable. It will have to launch three, four or five times in a row before commercial satellite makers would consider it to be a strong candidate as a commercial launcher.

/// END ACT ///

In fact, Japan's space agency lost contracts for 18 satellite launches from two American satellite makers after its failures of the past three years.

It is hoping to regain a share of the global satellite-launching business over the next few years. The business is currently dominated by Europe's Ariane rockets, with the United States, China and Russia also competing for business.

To become a player, experts such as Mr. Kallendar, say that Japan must continue to revamp its rocket program. It has already made significant changes. It backed away from a made-in-Japan approach to its spacecraft, which had put a huge price-tag on the H-2. With the H-2A, it streamlined the rocket and imported some parts from overseas. That brought costs down to about 70-million dollars for Wednesday's launch, making it comparable to many launch sites around the world.

Analysts say Japan has a good chance of competing in the market if the launches of two rockets scheduled for January and February next year go well.

/// OPT ///,Mr. Kallendar notes that Japanese companies are also vying for the chance to participate in manufacturing satellites.

/// SECOND KALLENDER ACT - OPT ///

Mitsubishi Electric is aggressively redeveloping how they make satellites. They have a whole new satellite building system and they are aiming to become a commercial satellite developer. Toshiba and N-E-C have also joined forces and they may be able to compete in a few years. It is still a big unknown.

/// END ACT - END OPT ///

Aside from financial incentive, Japan is eager to revitalize its space program for security purposes. It wants to be able to launch satellites for intelligence gathering. Security experts say it is especially concerned about potential threats from North Korea, which test fired a medium range missile over Japan in 1998, sending a political shock wave around the region. (SIGNED)

NEB/HK/AB/JO/KBK