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Interview with Dr. Bruce Murray
Part1
My Expectations Towards JAXA's X


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Q. What do you expect from JAXA?

I personally expect great things from JAXA. Japan has a very distinguished record in space. It's made a lot of good things happen using modest means and relatively small systems. I think they set an example for the world in doing that. I hope with JAXA by bringing all the resources together in one place and under one management that it can focus its resources even more and stand out across the whole world in space in its selected fields.

A great thing about JAXA is its middle initial X, which stands for exploration. They are the only space agency in the world that has had the courage to put exploration in its title and I think that's wonderful. And it's a real tribute and compliment to the Japanese people to have that outward attitude. Where one focuses one's resources is difficult because there's so much to explore and I think the most important thing for Japan will be to focus on some targets of exploration carefully and thoroughly and in depth and not try to do everything. I think that's the lesson of the past also.



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Q. What do you think about the Japanese technology and Japanese space science and what do you expect in the future?

Japanese space science has truly been outstanding, and in fields like x-ray astronomy it has actually led the world in many ways. It has done a very good job with the technology and keeping things small but very effective, which many scientists like myself feel is the best way for science to proceed. It has also maintained a close relationship with the universities in Japan, which is very important for science and the result of that, I think, has been a lot of good scientific results and they have been publicized well.

My hope for JAXA is that they will be able to make big discoveries in space that change how we think about ourselves on the Earth and maybe even how we live. And that they also are able to do this more and more internationally, with other countries -- other space faring nations -- so that they play a leading role in getting this Earth to act like a single Earth with a single group of people who are together concerned about their future as well as their present.



 
 
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Q. Would you agree that international cooperation between scientists and space organizations is becoming increasingly important?

Japan's been very good; Japan has avoided, to a large extent, the nationalistic aspects of its endeavors. It does not boast about what it does and it has built its reputation on the basis of achievements. So overall, space is more internationalized now than it used to be and I hope very much will continue to get more internationalized.






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