Japan Aims to Turn Artificial Shooting Stars Into a Business

Feb 05 (News On Japan) - Japanese startup ALE announced on February 4 that it will conduct its third demonstration experiment to generate artificial shooting stars in 2028, positioning the project as a step toward eventual commercialization rather than a one-off spectacle.

The experiment will involve launching a satellite into a circular orbit at an altitude of about 400 kilometers using a rocket, after which the satellite will release specially developed metal particles that reenter the atmosphere and burn up, creating the appearance of shooting stars visible from the ground. ALE has attempted the experiment twice in the past, successfully launching and placing satellites into orbit on both occasions, but failed to generate artificial meteors due to malfunctions in the onboard release mechanism, preventing the particles from being deployed. For the upcoming attempt, the company says it has redesigned the release device and introduced a new system aimed at avoiding such operational failures, resulting in a more reliable configuration for producing artificial shooting stars.

ALE President Reina Okajima said: “This is not just about entertainment or beauty; there is a scientific contribution behind it. We want to turn these shooting stars into a real business, and after a successful challenge in 2028, we plan to move toward commercialization.”

Source: テレ東BIZ

Six Students Taken to Hospital After Eating Overly Salty Pizza

Six junior high school students were taken to hospital after falling ill from eating pizza made during a home economics class in Kitakyushu last month, with officials suspecting the cause to be an excessive amount of salt added to the dough.

Osaka Fraud Losses Top 33.9 Billion Yen as Police-Impersonation Scams Surge

Losses from special fraud and SNS-based investment and romance scams in Osaka Prefecture over the past year exceeded 33.9 billion yen, marking a record high.

Japan Supplies Generators to Ukraine

A ceremony was held in Kyiv on February 11th where the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) presented generators to Ukraine as the country grapples with worsening electricity shortages following Russian attacks on energy facilities, with citizens struggling to endure severe winter conditions and international assistance for power infrastructure continuing to grow.

Water Supply Disruptions Continue in Hakone

A renewed water outage struck Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture after supplies briefly resumed on February 11th morning, with authorities reinstating water restrictions from 9 p.m. as frozen pipes and low reservoir levels linked to an intense cold wave continued to disrupt supply across the region.

Japan’s Oldest Man Dies at 111

Kiyotaka Mizuno, the oldest man in Japan and the oldest resident in Shizuoka Prefecture, died of natural causes at his home in Iwata, Shizuoka Prefecture, on February 8th at the age of 111, according to local authorities.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Japanese Startup Slashes Methane from Cow Burps

A startup is working to curb global warming by feeding seaweed to cattle in an effort to reduce methane emissions from their burps, with plans to commercialize the technology in the coming years.

Can Japan End Hay Fever by Killing Male Cedar Flowers?

The arrival of pollen season has once again begun to affect large parts of Japan, but new research aimed at preventing cedar pollen from dispersing is raising hopes that the future could bring relief for millions of sufferers, with scientists working on a method to wither only the male flowers of cedar trees and stop pollen at its source.

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Plant Restarted

Tokyo Electric Power announced that it has restarted the reactor at Unit 6 of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, which had been halted shortly after its initial restart due to equipment problems.

Sea Lions Invade Remote Hokkaido Island

About 3,000 Steller sea lions have appeared on an uninhabited island off Hokkaido, marking the largest number for this time of year and adding to fishing losses estimated to exceed 1 billion yen.

Flu Makes Alert Level Comeback in Kansai

Influenza is once again spreading rapidly across the Kansai region, with Osaka Prefecture reaching an advisory-level outbreak for the second time in a single season for the first time in 15 years as infections surge again after the New Year.

Japan Aims to Turn Artificial Shooting Stars Into a Business

Japanese startup ALE announced on February 4 that it will conduct its third demonstration experiment to generate artificial shooting stars in 2028, positioning the project as a step toward eventual commercialization rather than a one-off spectacle.

3D Images Reveal How Tsunami Fires Spread

High-resolution 3D images created from aerial photographs taken after the Great East Japan Earthquake have revealed how large-scale fires spread in the aftermath of the tsunami, showing that in Yamada Town, Iwate Prefecture, debris left behind by the waves covered wide areas of the town and rendered roads ineffective as natural firebreaks, allowing flames to expand unchecked.

Japan Succeeds in Recovering Rare Earth Mud From 6,000 Meters

Japan has successfully recovered rare earth–bearing mud from a depth of 6,000 meters off Minamitorishima as part of a trial mining project aimed at developing a domestic supply of critical minerals, government officials said.

< 2 3 4 5 >