Japanese astronauts to fly on Soyuz spaceships- media.

TOKYO, December 22 (Itar-Tass) - In the coming years Japanese
astronauts for space flights will be using the Russian spaceship Soyuz the reliability of which has considerably grown, the Yomiuri newspaper writes on Tuesday in connection with the beginning programme of the longest stay on the International Space Station (ISS) of Japan's astronaut Soichi Noguchi.

The Soyuz spacecraft over the entire period of its exploitation over
the past 4 decades, the newspaper writes, has been modernised all the time
by the introduction of advanced technologies and has demonstrated a high
degree of reliability, confirmed by about 100 its launches. The
publication also stresses that each launch of the Russian manned spaceship
costs about 10 times less than the same operation with the use of the
American space shuttles.
The work experience of Japanese astronauts on Russian Soyuz
spaceships, the newspaper writes, will be taken into account in the
implementation of the currently developed national manned space flight
programme. This programme envisages the possible use for these purposes of
the first Japanese cargo spaceship HTV, after its additional equipping.
The HTV has successfully worked earlier this year with the ISS.
According to the Yomiuri newspaper, Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi
safely departed for the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz
rocket. Noguchi will stay aboard the ISS for about six months. His stay
will be the longest that a Japanese astronaut has experienced. We hope he
will steadily fulfil his duty in international space cooperation and
enhance Japan's international presence. Unlike a past stay by a Japanese
astronaut, Noguchi plans to stay for about six months and has a private
room.
Construction of the ISS is near completion. The number of residents
there will increase from the initial two to the maximum of six by next
spring, when Noguchi will still be at the station, the publication says.
Noguchi is expected to not only conduct space experiments for Japan,
but also support the operation and maintenance of the station and
experiments carried out by other countries, including one the United
States plans to ascertain the perceptual effect of sleeping drugs. Noguchi
himself will be involved in the US experiment by taking the drugs,
according to the newspaper.
It said that as part of leisure and public relations activities
designed to promote international space cooperation, Noguchi will make
sushi in space. He will be very busy with various missions in the ISS, but
we hope he will relax and carry out his duties.
This is the first time that an official Japanese astronaut will use
the Soyuz capsule for a return trip from the Earth to space. Past Japanese
astronauts used US space shuttles, but the US National Aeronautics and
Space Administration is preparing to retire its aging space shuttle fleet
after the completion of construction of the ISS in the spring. Travelling
into space means relying on Russia until the United States develops a new
spacecraft. The launch of the Soyuz rocket this time is the first case
under such circumstances, writes the newspaper.
The vital structures of the Soyuz spacecraft have been kept, and other
parts have been steadily improved over the past four decades since the era
of the former Soviet Union, during which period the vehicle has been
launched about 100 times. The Soyuz has accumulated technology and is very
safe, and its launch cost is one-tenth the 80 billion yen it costs to
launch a US space shuttle, it reported.
In Japan, meanwhile, there are growing calls for this country to
develop manned spacecraft. The H-2 Transfer Vehicle, Japan's first
unmanned spacecraft, which successfully delivered materials to the ISS in
September, is said to be a prototype for the nation's manned spacecraft.
The HTV can haul more than twice as much cargo as Russia's unmanned supply
spacecraft. The United States is considering using the HTV to supply
materials to the ISS after the space shuttles are retired. The experience
with the Soyuz spacecraft will provide Japan with pointers on what is
required to turn the HTV into a manned spacecraft, the Yomiuri writes.
What worries is the unclear future of the ISS. The United States, one
of the major countries promoting the ISS project, only plans to use the
ISS until 2015. Plans to develop space will not proceed smoothly unless
the nations concerned take ample time beforehand to think them through. In
line with the start of the full-fledged operation of the ISS, the
government should quickly discuss its plan with concerned countries,
according to the newspaper.
At the pre-flight press conference the Japanese astronaut did not hide
his admiration from the reliable "workhorse" of Russia's cosmonautics.
"The Soyuz is a very reliable spaceship and I very much like its design,"
he said. "I am sure that our safety will be guaranteed," he added. The
spaceship is to dock with the ISS at 01:54, Moscow time, on December 23.
Despite the belief in reliability of the Russian space equipment,
Noguchi took with him in the flight a mascot - toy tiger that is the
symbol of the coming New Year, according to the Oriental lunar calendar.
Besides, the astronaut also took with him photographs of his family
members who came to Baikonur to see him off.
-0-ezh/gor