Japan will have its first home in
space. "That''s how astronaut Takao Doi describes the
laboratory in your
country, which leave tomorrow aboard the shuttle Endeavour towards the International Space Station. Module there will be coupled with nearly independence in relation to the rest together, getting connected by an articulated arm.
"Kibo" means hope in Japanese. It is the name of the laboratory which is the participation of the Japanese Space Agency in the project of the International Space Station. The approximately 450 kilometres on
earth navigate the contributions already counterparts from the USA, Europe and Russia.
The astronaut Doi Taka task will be to mount and connection of the first pieces to the core. Many things will now prepared to Earth is that, in total, the laboratory is composed of two million pieces.
The beginning of the operation of "Kibo" is planned for July next, but only within more than one
year everything will be able to operate. However, it will take two more shuttle flights to carry the whole load to the area.
The Japanese laboratory, the largest of all similar units will enable scientific experiments in micro-gravity environment. But the Japanese Space Agency (Jaxa) is to harness the launch (postponed due to delays motivated by the disaster of the ship of NASA in 2003) to motivate the public of their own country and capture the curiosity of the world look. Besides exhibitions, with a module reproducing almost at the "Kibo", the Japanese astronauts were responsible for missions with visibility.
Thus, Takao Doi should launch a "boomerang" to see how the subject is behaving in micro-gravity and whether he does or does not return until whom the launches. Months later, another Japanese astronaut will proof of the advantages of a sports shoes and traditional dishes of their country, like sushi. The costly "Kibo", which cost is put at EUR 650 million, has had a co-participation of several private companies.
This mission of NASA with the Endeavour will return to Earth within 17 days. In the current year, there will be four additional flights. By 2010 six more will shuttle to the International Space Station. That year, the ships finally closed down his career. In - Jornal de Notícias
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