Following the launch of Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-1 in 2019, we will soon launch Innovative Satellite Technology Demostration-2 to conduct demonstration experiments on the 14 themes that were selected from among applicants to the call for proposals (*Innovative Satellite Technology Demostration-2 was successfully launched on November 9, 2021). Specifically, four microsatellites, four CubeSats and six components are included in the target for demonstration. For example, a board computer named SPRESENSE™ will be mounted on a satellite of JAXA. In this experiment called "SPR," we will test the computer's resistance to radiation in space. In space, there is much more radiation than on the earth, which gives adverse effect to the operation of devices.

You mean, SPR is intended for use in space in the future?

Yes, indeed. Based on the results of the demonstration experiment, the use of the computer will be expanded to be eventually mounted on artificial satellites and lunar rovers. The moon and Mars are distant from the earth, and there is a communication time lag in proportion to the distance. In particular on Mars, the length of time lag is as many as several ten minutes, which makes it impossible for the crew to receive instructions from the earth in real time. Under such circumstances, you need a high-performance computer that can autonomously think and function also in space.

I see. What other experiments will you conduct?

It is much smaller than I thought it was. The fact that debris hit that small membrane implies that there are so many debris in space.

I once read a book about space and astronauts written by TACHIBANA Takashi, in which the author described how astronauts' ideas about Earth had changed due to their experience in space. There are actually no national borders drawn on the planet and the impact of CO2 emissions does not differ by country. I think the astronauts who saw Earth from space intuitively felt, "Our planet is one single entity."

The Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program is also intended to increase Japan's global competitiveness by giving support to the industries, thereby contributing to economy and benefiting society at large.

The term "IT company" began to be used about 30 years ago, perhaps because companies were divided into those that were using IT and those that were not using the technology at that time. Now, however, all companies are using IT. The same thing might apply to space. In the future, there might be no companies that are not connected to space. Objective Earth observations made by using satellites will contribute to dramatic growth in various fields. Also, in the world of sports, the video technology made it possible for athletes to obtain data about their physical movements, which helped them substantially increase their athletic abilities. Now, I think video images are utilized for almost all sports.

I agree with you. In car navigation systems and smartphones, the GPS technology is used to obtain location information. GPS is an easy-to-understand example of the technologies that were initially developed as satellite technologies in the United States but are now used in our daily life. I think connection between the earth and space will be further enhanced toward the future. Recently, SpaceX of the United States has started a project to launch several ten thousand small satellites to build a ceaseless communication link across time and space. These projects will benefit people on the earth.

What you said implies that the field will expand magnificently, and maybe the national government should demonstrate leadership in the field.

For GPS, Japan launched its own local positioning satellite, which has made high-precision positioning possible even for places between tall buildings and others for which such positioning used to be impossible. And as you said, the national government and JAXA should demonstrate leadership still in many parts of the field.

The essential value provided by athletes might be something like the value provided by "a canary in a coal mine." Athletes show "what will happen if you try this" by using their own bodies and thereby contribute to improving society. Sports are very primitive and powerfully stimulate your emotions. Hitler utilized this power for propaganda, but there are no "good" or "bad" sports. However, sports can be used in a good way for world peace, diplomacy and education, and I think it is important for athletes to recognize this fact.

We engage in space development of course because we have intellectual curiosity about it, but JAXA's mission is to contribute to society and people. It is part of my job to release information about the contribution that we can make to society through the Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program. We have already been contributing to society by making achievements in the program and communicating this fact to more people, which is in turn raising the public awareness of the program and leading to the participation of new players in the program.

You are thereby executing a virtuous cycle.

Yes, indeed. However, I also want to include challenging technologies in our target.

You want to mix something interesting in it.

Exactly. For the further development of the program.

In order to provide athletes with an environment in which they can embrace challenges in a spontaneous manner, it is first of all necessary to appropriately evaluate those taking on challenges. It is also essential to diversify the evaluation methods. If an athlete receives instructions only from one powerful coach, the athlete will be evaluated by one single way, which might make it difficult for the athlete to achieve further growth at other places. If an athlete is encouraged to take the risk of embracing a challenge and is appropriately evaluated for it in multiple ways over a length of time, that person will be able to achieve further growth. Usually, however, athletes do not take on dramatic challenges and instead repeat setting a more ambitious target toward the same direction. But some crazy ideas may be implemented for athletes depending on the culture of the sport organization to which they belong.

I see. It is true that you are influenced by the environment in which you are placed.

When I was living in San Diego, I had an opportunity to listen to children's dreams, including a dream about space, and I thought it important for children to have such a dream.

I agree with you. I have visited various places with Japanese astronauts for lecturing, and children attending the lectures listened to the astronauts with stars in their eyes. The lectures on space gave motivation to children, which I thought was important. The Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program is also intended to promote human resource development. In Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-2, which we will launch soon, a CubeSat developed by kosen or colleges of technology will also be sent to space.

It is indeed important to increase the number of people engaging in the field. In track and field sports, you compete how fast you can run and how far you can throw or jump, and these provide the basis for all sports. In the track and field sports, you can complete not only with others but also with yourself by comparing your past records with the present records. Both children and adults can "feel" the range that is within their arms' reach. Also, for running, athletes know how fast they can run, and it is quite important for them to experience an increase, albeit small, in their speed. When teaching children, I give priority to helping them to experience such an increase, thereby encouraging them to think that they can expand their own limits day by day. This way of thinking is important in any fields, I think. It will give you a driving force to think that you may be able to achieve more than you expect you will and will help you make your dream come true.

Seeing the actual launch of a rocket might also help you expand your sensibility, values and potential. Now, due to the COVID-19 crisis, it is difficult for you to see it on-site, but I hope that many people will see the launch in real time through online media, which will make them feel closer to space.

Oh, seeing it in real-time will have impact on what they think. The viewers will undoubtedly feel something new.

Mr. Tamesue, I was strongly inspired by the activity that you organized in Marunouchi, Tokyo in 2007. In "Tokyo Street Track and Field," you held a competition not in an athletic stadium but on the street in Marunouchi, with an eye to raising the public's awareness of track and field sports. What led you to hit upon such an innovative idea?

I decided to hold the event because I got prize money when participating in a TV quiz program (laughs). As for the main reason, track and field sports had not been attracting the numbers of spectaculars that were enough to fill the stadiums, and I therefore decided to hold a track and field competition in a place visited by many people. I found it interesting to do away with the stereotype idea that the track and field events are held in athletic stadiums. I wonder how you can do sports in space with zero gravity. Perhaps in space, basketball will be played on a court that is different from the conventional one (laughs). I would like to develop a "space sport."

That's interesting. Maybe in the future we could hold the Olympics at the space station.

I am also interested in the physical changes that astronauts have experienced. I have been giving insight into human beings from the physical aspect as my lifework. For example, you walk in an unconscious manner. None remember how they started to walk. You do not know when and how you started to walk. You also run unconsciously, and running is a sport that belongs to an unconscious world in a certain sense. To what extent do people physically behave unconsciously and consciously? What does it mean to be conscious? This question is not directed only to athletes and is actually related to all people's daily life. What will happen to people when they are placed in an extreme situation and in a closed place with zero gravity? I saw Usain Bolt running in a state of zero gravity, and he was running rather slowly (laughs). Even Bolt cannot run fast without kicking the ground with his feet. This made me re-recognize the fact that gravity, which we take for granted, is truly important. In an extreme situation, I think you will be able to make more findings without being limited by existing frameworks or premises.