Fourthly, in order to fulfill the above challenges, we need to pursue the ultimate space transportation technology to make highly reliable launch vehicles our core. We are determined to manufacture a more reliable and cost-reduced launch vehicle of the highest global standards by maintaining and developing technologies accumulated through the development of the H-IIA and M-V launch vehicles. Another project that has recently resurfaced at JAXA is the development of a domestically made passenger aircraft. We would like to support all these activities to ensure their success.
Regarding the above fourth point, I also need to touch upon a Japanese manned space transportation project. I recognize that there are high expectations that Japan will attain its own manned space transportation technology in the future. It is also true that there are many young JAXA engineers who are willing to dedicate their lives to develop such a technology. When we established JAXA, supporters of a domestic manned space transportation establishment were unfortunately not able to convince JAXA to pursue that field of development. It was obvious that emotional reasoning, such as, "It is historically inevitable to make a human space flight," or, "Japan can not be left behind China, who is planning a manned space flight," was not persuasive enough to justify spending such an enormous amount of our budget. I hope that supporters of the manned space transportation system will further develop theoretical ideas, beyond idealistic reasons, under the current severe economic situation in Japan and accumulate more basic technologies during the period President Shuichiro Yamanouchi, who has extraordinary "centripetal power", is in office. Let’s wait for them to try again even harder with their persistent efforts and persuasive reasoning.
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