Nov 12 (Japan Times) - A capsule ejected from a space cargo vessel returned to Earth on Sunday, bringing back experiment samples from the International Space Station (ISS) in the first such mission for Japan.
The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the capsule, measuring 84 wide and 66 cm high, made a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific near the island of Minamitorishima early in the morning and was retrieved later in the day.
“I think we’ve succeeded almost as planned,†Hirohiko Uematsu, technology director of JAXA, told a press conference at the agency’s Tsukuba Space Center in Ibaraki Prefecture. “Japan has obtained the technology that is essential for us to move forward.â€
JAXA is now aiming to develop a new capsule that can return home without being assisted by a space vessel, while the success of the latest mission is also expected to help in the development of Japan’s own spacecraft for manned missions in the future.
The retrieved capsule contained protein crystals grown in experiments conducted aboard the ISS that JAXA says will be analyzed for medical purposes.
High-quality protein crystals obtained without being influenced by gravity will be helpful in exploring the causes of some diseases and developing medicines to cure them, according to the agency.
Source: ANNnewsCH
