Japanese tech reaching for the moonーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]The Artemis program of US space agency NASA is aimed at achieving the first crude lunar landing since the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s. The plan is moving forward with the goal of eventually enabling long-term stays on the moon. Japanese companies have been playing a role in the program's cutting-edge space development.

[00:00:22]This small firm in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, has ties to NASA.

[00:00:29]Last month, employees and their families gathered to watch the return of the Orion spacecraft.

[00:00:36]Integrity splashdown sending post-landing command now.

[00:00:56]Now about the splashdown has been completed safely.

[00:01:00]I'm really looking forward to seeing the first results of the work we've been involved in.

[00:01:11]With 49 employees, the firm makes parts for industrial machinery and other products.

[00:01:20]For the past 10 years, it's been manufacturing a device called gravitate that simulates extraterrestrial gravity.

[00:01:30]The research and development behind the device was carried out by Dr. Louis Eu Gay, who belongs to a NASA advisory committee on gravity.

[00:01:42]Objects on Earth are subject to 1 G of gravity.

[00:01:47]But during a rocket launch, gravitational force increases to two or three times [music] that much.

[00:01:55]Gravity on the International Space Station is about 1/1000 that of Earth.

[00:02:01]And on the moon, it's 1/6.

[00:02:06]Gravite [music] is the world's only device capable of simulating such conditions on Earth.

[00:02:15]By rotating independently [music] and simultaneously around two axes and randomizing three-dimensional gravitational force, the device can simulate a microgravity [music] environment.

[00:02:30]The rate of rotation can be changed to simulate particular low gravity conditions such as those on the moon or Mars, as well as high gravity.

[00:02:44]Uge says studying the effects of gravity is extremely important.

[00:02:54]The purpose of the Artemis program is to go to the moon to establish a living environment.

[00:02:59]Unlike previous missions, this one is about staying there.

[00:03:03]That means we need to verify what is possible and what it takes to live in the lunar environment.

[00:03:09]Gravite is a vital tool for doing that.

[00:03:13]The space [music] industry is expected to eventually reach a scale of $1 trillion. Meanwhile, inquiries about [music] Gravite have been pouring in.

[00:03:25]About 150 units have already been installed at universities [music] and research institutions around the world.

[00:03:34]Use of the device [music] in space agriculture is already yielding results.

[00:03:40]It has helped verify how low gravity affects the growth of vegetables.

[00:03:49]This led to [music] the development of a special planter for growing lettuce in space.

[00:04:01]Cultivation on the moon could serve as a mental oasis for astronauts, which would be incredibly important.

[00:04:09]Through experiments aimed at achieving self-sufficient manned flight, this planter was designed to allow crews to grow their own food, such as potatoes.

[00:04:26]The Gravite device is also valued in the medical field.

[00:04:31]Professor Kinooka Masahiro of Osaka University is a leading global authority on technologies for cultivating cells used in regenerative medicine.

[00:04:44]This is Gravite.

[00:04:47]Research using the device has turned [music] up something unexpected.

[00:04:53]Normally, [music] as cells are cultured and multiply, their functionality declines.

[00:04:59]But some cells [music] in experiments conducted under 0.001 G have maintained their functionality.

[00:05:06][music] Although the experimental results have been [music] limited to a small number of cells, the research is expected to enhance the potential of regenerative [music] medicine to repair damaged nerves and create new human organs.

[00:05:27]Ultimately, I believe that once we're able to create a more accurate simulation of the human body and observe what happens when we grow cells in microgravity, we'll be able to see the effects of space in that regard and expand our understanding.

[00:05:44]Last year, UGE sent to NASA a 2-m tall Gravite unit at the agency's request.

[00:05:51]The move is considered a step toward full-scale semiconductor manufacturing in space.

[00:06:01]Japanese products are known for their long lifespan, high quality, and durability. Qualities that make them ideal for space.

[00:06:09]NASA is [music] interested in these technologies, so rather than just supply parts, I believe Japan can make a significant technological contribution to building the lunar market, or rather the lunar infrastructure. And I think that's what we should be doing.

[00:06:24]The Artemis program holds [music] great promise for resource and infrastructure development in space.

[00:06:31]And for Japan, it presents a significant opportunity to use the country's technology [music] to help shape that future.