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Japanese Shuttle has Successful Test Flight
spacecomputer writes "First test flight of scaled-down version of Hope-X is a success! They have additional test flights in the coming week, but have no funding to proceed beyond the test stage."
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Buzz Lightyear had wings.... and they worked in space. I don't think you know what you are talking about.
...And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me." - Martin Niemoeller (1892-1984)
Okey, when are they going to make the one for Dr. Evil, as evidently they can make one for Mini Me?
Norris/Palin 2012
Fact: We deserve leaders who can kick your ass and field dress your carcass.
I just hope this doesn't somehow involve space tentacles.
I seem to recall hearing that Russia was having big financial problems with their space program, and that if they didn't scrape up funding in some form, that it may adversely impact the long term construction plans for the ISS over the next few years.
Would the full size final version of this thinger be able to ferry big structural pieces or modules, in place of the Russian rockets? I get the impression that the it would be too small, which would suck.
The angel in the oatmeal.
My impression is that America's 70's-era, pork-laden shuttle has been the LEAST economical way to get into space for quite a while. Japan can hardly make that worse.
The shuttle's government anyway, so it doesn't respond to reality the way the auto industry had to when Japanese imports took off. (It'd be real nice, but I don't see this kicking Yankee political pride enough to make it happen.)
There are lots of folks trying to make it in the space launch business, many with government subsidies, and not that much stuff that needs to be launched. I wish 'em the best, but I don't see how the Japanese could make money doing this. And their government is also BIG on pork...
It's easy to make up & spread cool- and credible-sounding stuff. Finding & checking hard facts is hard work.
Most of the manned mission to space has just resulted into exploring curiosity without any real scientific research (certainly not worth the cost).
It was ego that resulted in mission to moon. It was miscalculation of cost that resulted into US space shuttle (they thought that the reusability of space shuttle boosters will make it cheaper than traditional rockets). No wonder, during the time, space shuttle was developed, Europians overtook US in launching commercial satellites. Russian space shuttle Buran is a failure but their traditional rocket business is successful. ISS hasn't produced anything scientifically or technologically to justify the cost. The only scientific advantage of US shuttle program could be successful launch and subsequent repair/upgrade of Hubble space telescope. Excluding this, the manned space mission have been mostly wastage of public money.
I seem to remember a series of documentaries from the 1950's or so, detailing Japan's experiments with rocketry. As I recall, the rockets inevitably crashed and caused a beast that had slept for centuries to awaken and wreak havoc on the poor locals, who were often so distrought that they failed to make their mouths sync up with their screams of terror. Must we repeat this tragedy? I think we've all had just about enough Raymond Burr.