Astronaut shutterbug Soichi Noguchi of Japan caught a rare view of the shuttle landing from space as the orbiter streaked through Earth's atmosphere. His photo perch of choice: More than 200 miles (321 km) up and inside International Space Station's brand-new Cupola, a lookout dome covered in seven windows – including a huge round one that is the largest space window ever built.
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Astronaut Photographs Shuttle Landing From Space

Category: Japanese abroad Tags:
Astronauts gear up for ‘space sushi’
Astronauts from Russia, Japan and the United States blast off to the International Space Station on Monday, bringing with them promises of ‘space sushi’ and ‘tweets’ from the cosmos.

Category: Environment Tags:
“SAPPORO Space Barley” Beer Is Launched
Sapporo Breweries Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo; President Masaru Fukunaga) is launching sales of the world’s first beer produced using malt made 100% from “space barley,” the progenies of spaceflight barley seeds, This limited offer is exclusive to the Internet and proceeds will go to charity.
Read more »Fish in space: Japan looks to launch killifish into orbit
Sometime in fiscal 2011, astronauts headed to the International Space Station (ISS) will have a little aquatic company: two tanks of killifish.
Read more »Space Station Crew Welcomes Japan's First Cargo Ship
Japan's first-ever space cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station Thursday to end a flawless maiden voyage to the orbiting lab.
Read more »Sex in space could be the key to the survival of humans
I've been thinking about sex in space. Not from any interest in a potential new porn genre, or because I've got a chance of joining the 62-mile-high club any time soon. No, my concerns are loftier even than that: I'm worried about the future of humanity
Read more »Japan Launches Space Cargo Ship on Maiden Flight
Japan's first space cargo ship soared into orbit Thursday to begin its maiden cruise to the International Space Station. If all goes well, the cargo ship should arrive at the orbiting laboratory Sept. 17 after a series of rendezvous and abort system tests.
Read more »Japan Plans Solar Space Post to Power Homes
By 2015, the Japanese government hopes to test a satellite decked out with solar panels that beams power through space and back to Earth.
Read more »Experiments in Space with Underpants?
Stranger and Stranger! One of the latest experiments in space appears to involve clothing that has been worn for extended periods of time without washing - for example underpants up to 2 months!! All in the name of science of course.
Read more »Japan launches experts' debate on moon exploration
A group of experts held an inaugural meeting here to discuss how Japan should explore the moon following the formulation of a national space development project in June that underlined the country's ambition to send its first manned moon probe
Read more »Receding Earth
KAGUYA (SELENE) taking the fist quarter of the Earth by HDTV. About 110,000 km away from the Earth. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkHuRRDshhg&NR=1&feature=fvwp
Read more »July 22 Total Solar Eclipse in Japan - Viewing Locations & Info
A total solar eclipse will take place on July 22nd, and it will be somewhat visible in certain areas of Japan. Folks in Okinawa, Yakushima and the Tokara Islands should get a pretty nice view.
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Category: Cool! Tags:
Japan to flood outer space with 100 mini satellites
Japan is planning to launch a swarm of up to 100 mini-satellites, each costing between $3 million and $4 million. Sized at around 50cm, the cubicle-shaped satellites are supposedly not bigger than school backpacks.
Japanese Researchers Create Super Underwear
Astronauts will test the new underwear that is meant to be worn for 7 days without smelling!
Read more »Shuttle Launch 'A Giant Leap' for Japan
Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who launched into space aboard the space shuttle Discovery today, will spend three months aboard the International Space Station. He will be the first Japanese astronaut to spent several months in space.
Read more »North Korea to launch chicken into orbit against Japanese protests
President Kim Jong-il announced today that North Korea would not send a satellite into orbit in April as originally planned, but will substitute the payload with a chicken. The communist government's sudden reversal of policy suggests a new tone of diplomacy with its Eastern neighbors.
Read more »宇宙でなら魔法のじゅうたんに乗れる?
日本人宇宙飛行士が今月宇宙へとびたちます。
彼は宇宙で魔法のじゅうたんに乗ったり、無重力空間で目薬をさせるか試したり、とにかく前人未到のことに挑戦します、と、宇宙航空研究開発機構JAXAが今週木曜に発表しました。
Read more »Mosquito survives in outer space - Russian/Japanese Scientists speculate
The mosquito did not get any food and was subjected to extreme temperatures ranging from minus 150 degrees Celsius in the shade to plus 60 degrees in the sunlight.
Read more »Japan considers robot, astronaut on moon
TOKYO -- Japan is considering putting a robot on the moon by 2020 and an astronaut by 2030, a report from a government office showed on Friday, amid fears that the country will be left behind in Asia's space race.
Read more »DARTS of the Month - A Heavenly Zoo with Peculiar Animals
Suzaku satellite: If you visit a zoo, you can see many different kinds of animals and learn their diverse behaviours. As well as a zoo on the earth, there is a "heavenly zoo" where you can see many different kinds of celestial objects and learn their diverse characteristics. That is the center of our Milky way, the " Galactic center ".
Read more »Japan launches greenhouse-gas probe
Mission could boost business for the country's cash-hungry space program
Read more »Astronaut set to become Japan's first mom in space
Naoko Yamazaki, mother of a 6-year-old girl, has been picked as a crew member of the space shuttle Atlantis. According to Japan's space agency, the 37-year-old Yamazaki will be the country's first mom to go into space.
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Category: Technology Tags:
The First Far-Side Gravity of the Moon and Global Topography by KAGUYA
Astronomers are announcing today that the precise gravity field of the lunar far side and the global lunar topography map were obtained by KAGUYA spacecraft. The report is being presented by Dr. Sho Sasaki of National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Read more »Photos of JAXA’s Origami Space Shuttles
Japanese precision machinery manufacturer Castem has sent nine origami space shuttles to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) office in Houston, it was announced on October 7. If all goes as planned, the paper planes will conduct experimental flights from the space station to Earth early next year.
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Category: Technology Tags:
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | China astronaut's space walk
A Chinese astronaut has become the first in his country's history to take a space walk.
In an operation broadcast live on Chinese television, fighter pilot Zhai Zhigang, 42, emerged from the capsule orbiting the Earth to wave a flag.
Read more »Space tourist wants $21m refund
A Japanese businessman who trained for a 10-day flight aboard the International Space Station has sued US$21 million.
Read more »Japan plans world's first space elevator
Spacewalk is an important step for China's space exploration
Ashes to be placed in space
Celestis Inc., a U.S. "space burial" service, has scheduled a post-cremation memorial spaceflight for the ashes of 208 people from around the world, including 63 from Japan.
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