Relic Russian ICBM To the Rescue for Science

helio writes "Japanese space agency, JAXA, has announced that the agency will use DNEPR space launch system to launch OICETS (Optical Inter-Orbit Communications Engineering Test Satellite). Initially OICETS was to be launched with Japan's H-IIA rocket, however the delay in their development and a lack of time in the schedule force JAXA to utilize Russian's DNEPR system. For those who are too young to remember Cold War, DNEPR space launch system used to be Russian's inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBM). As you may guess, the OICETS satellite will be launched from a silo."

Comments

Russians, military funding, and the private sector

[Tackhead]

In addition to the Japanese project, a Russian nuclear sub crew will get some live-fire training while launching the (privately-funded) Planetary Society's Cosmos 1 solar sail project in March of 2005.

There are also companies that partner with Russian airbases to take wealthy Westerners up in basically anything with wings. Having a Yankee in the back seat pays for the gas and maintenance, and helps the pilot get some flight hours.

Hey, if you're short on hard currency to pay your troops, why not take some Western cash and make someone happy (whether it be through launching a space probe or giving 'em the ride of a lifetime) while your troops are getting their training.

Serious Comment: Japan & Russia

[Anonymous Coward]

I, for one, am glad that Tokyo chose to cooperate with Russia on the next satellite launch. The other 3 options are the USA, France, and China.

Apparently, the latest Japanese assessment that China is a hostile foreign power has pervaded the government of Japan, and Tokyo will not be cooperating with Beijing for the intermediate future.

For those who are not aware, the Japanese government recently issued a defense whitepaper identifying Beijing as a hostile military threat. Unlike the Taiwanese, the Japanese do not wish to hand critical space/aeronautical technologies over to the butchers in Beijing.

Chinese Memory = Bigotry

[Anonymous Coward]

Most people who are alive today never experienced World War II. So, most of us, including the barbaric Chinese, cannot remember any events from that war. We cannot remember what we did not experience.

When the Chinese talk about "remembering World War II" and using that memory to condemn Japan, the Chinese are talking about bigotry. In China, teaching bigotry to children and passing bigotry from one generation to the next is popular and encouraged.

We in the West believe that teaching bigotry is wrong. Western culture is very different from Chinese culture.

By the way, Tokyo has pledged $30 million in relief aid to Southern Asia to assist the victims of the tsunami. Beijing pledged almost nothing. Washington pledged $35 million. Australia pledged $7 million. As always, Chinese culture is very different from Western culture.

I personally favor treating the Chinese in the same way that they treat non-Chinese. We Westerns should use our "memory" of the Korean War, in which millions of Chinese killed Americans defending freedom in South Korea, to condemn the Chinese and to deport the Chinese immigrants without American citizenship back to the Chinese motherland.

Sort of...

[Anonymous Coward]

If I remember correctly, DNEPR was achieved in this manner.

The USSR created the SS-18 (NATO code-name "SATAN") ICBMs with nuclear warheads, to counter a perceived threat from NATO (arms race, ahoy)
Eventually, Glasnost
Oops... gotta lose the nukes.
Let's hire Thiokol (yes, they are rocket scientists)
Thiokol helps in the disassembly, suggests keeping the ICBMs that are in good shape and repurposing them to launch satellites.
Kosmotras corp is formed by some former sov military and government officials

Kosmotras is a private company. Nothing to do with cooperation between russia and ukraine, except that the corp had people from each. At least, it's as private as any russian corporation is