Japan

Japan hopes to turn sci-fi into reality with elevator to the stars

Greg Schnippel — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 06:52:00 -0700

From cyborg housemaids and waterpowered cars to dog translators and rocket boots, Japanese boffins have racked up plenty of near-misses in the quest to turn science fiction into reality.

Now the finest scientific minds of Japan are devoting themselves to cracking the greatest sci-fi vision of all: the space elevator. Man has so far conquered space by painfully and inefficiently blasting himself out of the atmosphere but the 21st century should bring a more leisurely ride to the final frontier.

Japan Shoots Down Dummy Ballistic Missile in Test

Greg Schnippel — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:45:25 -0700

Japan's military successfully shot down a dummy ballistic missile in a joint test with the United States, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday, days after reports that North Korea had tested new missile engines.

The joint test was the latest step in Tokyo's missile Defense strategy launched after North Korea shocked Japan in 1998 by firing a ballistic missile over the country into the Pacific Ocean.

Japan to Get Tsunami Warnings From Nuclear Monitor

Greg Schnippel — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:10:13 -0700

Japan yesterday signed a deal to receive data on possible tsunami activity from seismic and hydroacoustic sensors operated by an international nuclear detonation monitoring organization, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 3, 2005).

"We will have access to more accurate and more rapid information to enable us to issue a tsunami alert," said Yukiya Amano, Japanese envoy to U.N. organizations in Vienna. Amano signed the agreement with the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization.

Japan to Allow Military Use of Space

Greg Schnippel — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:35:01 -0700

Japan leads Asia's Race to the Moon

Greg Schnippel — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:29:51 -0700

China denies being in Japan moon race

Greg Schnippel — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:29:50 -0700

Law Would Give Japanese Sats a Military Role

Greg Schnippel — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:29:45 -0700

Japan's Fourth Spy Satellite in Orbit

Greg Schnippel — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:29:44 -0700

Japan may not want to go nuclear but it's no technical hurdle: analysts

Greg Schnippel — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:29:36 -0700

Anxiety chipping away at Japan's nuclear taboo

Greg Schnippel — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:29:35 -0700