Q. What do you think are the most important elements of the launch conductor’s job?
The launch conductor’s job is to control the overall flow of operations. Each operation progresses according to a schedule. However, when there is a problem in one area, it sometimes changes the order of events. In that case, I have to ensure that the new schedule won’t interfere with other ongoing operations. So I need to be fully aware of which operations shouldn’t be happening at the same time and where interference can arise. In particular, if a problem happens shortly before launch, the launch conductor has to be able to give instructions to solve it in time for the rocket to be launched within the launch window. To make the right decision in a tense situation on launch day, it is critical to be well prepared, knowing everything possible, such as the rocket’s characteristics and design changes from previous versions.
There are many different types of orchestra conductors. Likewise, as long as the launch is successful, I think that a launch conductor can define his or her own style. But without good understanding of rockets, I know from my experience that it would be impossible to make it all the way to launch. As long as you develop a deep understanding of rockets, and care about them more than anybody else does, I think you can build a strong bond with your launch team. It takes everyone’s efforts - as well as their thoughts and feelings - to make a rocket. I think the important thing is to take pride in being given the opportunity to take command of a rocket launch.
Q. It must be difficult to stay calm when something malfunctions and you have to make an important decision.
What I have found through drills and rehearsals is that there is no use getting upset. If I get upset, people around me will get upset, too. Besides, the most troubled person is not me but the person responsible for the section where the problem has occurred. My job is to create an environment to support him or her by allocating and instructing people. It is not like I have to find the right answer myself, so there is no need to panic. Instead, I make efforts to improve the situation, even little by little. This is my attitude towards my job.
Q. How long have you been working as a launch conductor? What led you to the job?
Launch of the H-IIB Test Flight Launch Vehicle (September 11, 2009)
I had put in a request that I wanted to learn about rockets in the field, and right after I joined JAXA, I was assigned to the Tanegashima Space Center. I was part of the launch control division, which supports rocket launches. My job then was to support the launch conductor as his assistant. He was studying rockets until late every night, and on the launch day he took command of the rocket launch with confidence. Watching him closely, I thought that the launch conductor’s job was tough but very worthwhile.
So I aimed to become a launch conductor, but during my four years at the Tanegashima Space Center, I didn’t have the chance. And later, a private company took over launch operations for the H-IIA launch vehicles, so the position was no longer available at JAXA. Then, my boss asked me if I would be interested in conducting the launch for the next rocket, the H-IIB. In September 2009 I conducted my first launch, of the H-IIB Test Flight Launch Vehicle. It had already been seven-and-a-half years since I first aspired to become a launch conductor. But since then I’ve had a chance to do the job on three H-IIB launches. There are so many people I am grateful to for this.
Q. What is most memorable in your career as a launch conductor?
Automatic countdown starts 270 seconds prior to the launch. Then the air in the control room becomes very tense. It’s an indescribable atmosphere. Everyone in the room is paying close attention to the data they are in charge of, and hoping from the bottom of their hearts that the rocket will lift off safely, without any troubles. I really love the sense of urgency and unity among the staff. Having that sensation is the most precious experience for me.
Q. When do you find your job most worthwhile?
Launch of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 2 (January 22, 2011)
All hardship is cleared away by accomplishment - for example, when we confirmed that the H-IIB launch vehicle had successfully inserted KOUNOTORI into orbit. There is so much to study about rocket launches, and a tremendous amount of time is spent on it. Especially at the Y-0 stage, which starts the day before the launch, there is constant tension, because you never know what will happen and when. So even though I am physically exhausted, I find that there is nothing better than the feeling of accomplishment after a successful launch. It is really a wonderful feeling that I can share the joy of that success with my long-time coworkers in rocket production, assembly and maintenance. Q. You are the first female launch conductor. Were you conscious of that? It didn’t concern me much. Right after I joined JAXA, I was assigned to the launch control division and was also the first woman there. People often asked me if I was all right, but the gender issue never occurred to me. On the contrary, I really enjoyed working at the Tanegashima Space Center. I was just very happy to be there. When I had a question, I always asked someone, no matter who they were, so I think that I sometimes gave an impression that I was quite impudent. But I was very fortunate that I could work in a friendly environment where my senior colleagues would listen even to a junior like me. Maybe older men working in the field were all gentlemen and were kind to me because I am a woman (laugh).
Q. Now that three H-IIB rockets have been launched successfully, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. will take over the launch operations for the next one. What went through your mind as you were launching No. 3?
Launch of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 3 (July 21, 2012)
It was the last launch for me as launch conductor, so it meant a lot to me. It was my graduation from the H-IIB rocket. I wanted to pass the work over to the people at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries without any regrets, so I did my best to do a good job. I was hoping that the people observing the launch would find the launch conductor’s job interesting and exciting. I also wanted them to take over the spirit of working with pride, making utmost effort.
On this last launch, two of my three assistants were new, and it was my first time working with them. I already knew them because they’d been working with launch vehicles at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for a long time, but it was our first time working together on an H-IIB launch. So I suggested a regular study workshop. I believe the most important things to ensure a successful launch are good teamwork and a trusting relationship. My intension was to help everyone get to know each other, so we could trust and depend on each other until the launch. I think the workshops were helpful, and we made a very good team. I had a special feeling about the launch also because I wanted the project with new members to end in success.
In the future, rocket technology will advance further, making launches simpler. But for the moment, rocket launches require a lot of people, and is impossible to succeed without their solidarity and cooperation. The staff of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are very professional and impressive. They have strong bonds amongst themselves as well. I am not worried about leaving future H-IIB launches to them.
Q. You were also involved in the development of the H-IIB launch vehicle. What does this rocket mean to you? My involvement started with the test flight, so the H-IIB rocket is the one I am most familiar with. It had many new elements: the clustered engines, the large first-stage tank and fairing, and others. One example is the upper-stage controlled re-entry experiment performed with H-IIB No. 2. In this experiment, the rocket’s upper stage, which normally becomes space debris, was controlled, and safely re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere, dropping into the sea. That feature is now standard for H-IIB rockets. Subsequently, H-IIB No. 3 was equipped with new avionics, which are the brain of the rocket. To accommodate the new technology, the ground facilities needed to be updated too.
The H-IIB rockets have overcome some difficulties to make these new elements successful, and have grown up just fine. I tend to personalize the rockets, so, for me, the H-IIB launch vehicles are our "children." From the Test Flight Launch Vehicle to No. 3, they are children we have raised with care and affection. Encouraging them and also being encouraged by them, we have grown together. They are very special to me.
