Haruhiko Ohta (Kyushu University)

Escalating rapidly for more than 20 years now, the pace of experiments in every field utilizing microgravity environments has provided important opportunities for the testing by using aircraft, the space shuttles, or large-scale drop facilities. Experiments at the International Space Station (ISS), which one might call the ultimate experimental environment, were partially put into practice last year for some subjects. On this point, one might say that we have definitely reached a new phase in this field. The activities of the Japanese astronauts on each of the ISS missions and the launch of a satellite that drew on the techniques of people working in small factories with almost no history of connection to space were covered on a major scale in the mass media. It is certainly no exaggeration to say that the great dreams and interests of the nation have turned toward space.

However, opportunities for microgravity experiments, which were relatively numerous at first, have decreased in recent years to a fairly restricted number and, unfortunately, we find ourselves in a situation where greater demand for researchers in all fields concerned with microgravity experiments is a long way off. I believe there is a range of associated reasons but the fundamental cause is, of course, that the results of microgravity experiments are, as a general rule, difficult to understand for people outside this area of expertise, including the general public. Another reason is that the ripple effects of the results are not clearly perceived.

In this context, the Aerospace Basic Act took effect in August last year and since then the government’s Strategy Office for Space Development has isolated five topics to substantiate fundamental directions for formulating a basic plan for space. They are (1) improving the lives of the people; (2) boosting security guarantees; (3) promoting space diplomacy; (4) fostering strategic industries and (5) promoting space science research, indicating a change of course from the space technology development of the past to an approach focused on space utilization. As a national strategy for space development in Japan, this is something that the state, local administrations and the private sector deal with in functional cooperation, popularizing space development, which has been a fairly specialized domain, and promoting it in powerful ways, with the purpose of space utilization in positive ways that influence both the lives of the people and economic activities.

With such major changes carried out on what I might call the perimeters of the field of space environment utilization, I dare say it is unavoidable that this field will shrink if each researcher adheres to the research scopes of the past, which can only be linked to a small fraction of the topics mentioned above. Even if we adopt policies that focus on traditional scientific values, I am convinced that we are now standing at the starting point of opening up new developments in the field of space environment utilization, working on substantial scenarios for reflecting results, reviewing and establishing themes with adequate awareness of the abovementioned course of action.

Having been appointed to carry out the important tasks of president, I feel a great sense of responsibility. I intend to work tirelessly for the further growth of this society and ask for your support and cooperation.

(April 2009)

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