Japan's Space Budget Under Stress

Japan's Space Budget Under Stress

The Japanese government is looking to cut spending for its Fiscal Year 2010 (which begins April 1, 2010) and the space program appears to be one target. Asahi Shimbum reports that the Government Revitalization Unit, which is looking across the Japanese government to cut wasteful spending, has asked the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to withdraw its request for 5.8 billion yen for development of Japan’s new GX medium class launch vehicle. The GX would be powered by a liquified natural gas engine. Japan has spent 70 billion yen already on the engine and another 140 billion yen is needed, according to the report.

An English-language report citiing another Japanese news source, Yomiuri, has more discouraging news: “JAXA’s financial woes do not end with the recommended cancellation of the GX engine; the advisory committee also called for a ten percent budget reduction to about 350 billion yen (~390 million USD) for resources related [to] its HTV program, according to the Yomiuri.” HTV is Japan’s automated transport spacecraft for taking cargo to the International Space Station. Its first flight was a complete success earlier this fall.

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