- I guess space development is not the only public project to stimulate the future national capability. Tachibana "All kinds of huge science projects have the same effect. For that reason, it is important to consider things from a national strategic standpoint. In other words, it is necessary to decide the order of priority for allocating resources, you need to consider the national strategy, and ask, 'What kinds of technology and technological manpower are necessary for Japan to acquire?' I think the only way for Japan to survive is to encourage the growth of advanced science and technology, and to continue to be the world's leading power in that field. When Japan was a warring state, the national mantra was 'to build the high defense nation,' and today it should be 'to build the great science-and-technology nation,' or 'to build the great educational nation.' " - Coming back to the subject of manned spacecraft, some people say that kind of effort can enhance the technology to withstand severe conditions, by carrying out manned space flights. Tachibana "I don't deny such an argument, but I think it is better for Japan to enhance other technologies by giving up manned spacecraft. I am talking about robotization. Robotization does not mean humanoid robots, but highly intelligent automatic control mechanisms. Missions without man would basically be carried out with robots. To bring it all down to Earth, almost all space technologies today are robotized. Except manned spacecraft, a spacecraft itself is also a robot. The further into space we explore, the more remote control will become useless due to the long delays in communication, and all kinds of things will be robotized. "Robot technology is where Japan has an overwhelming advantage over the rest of the world. As a matter of fact, Japanese manufacturers supply all industrial robots, as well as humanoid and entertainment robots, to the world. Japan's space technology capacity is not at the top level in the world, but in the space robot field Japanese makers have potential competitive power. For example the examination of the Shuttle's outer walls, which became an issue when Space Shuttle Columbia had its accident, can be done quickly and easily using Japanese cleaning robots that clean the outer walls of buildings. To find a way to build the space industry using the advantageous characteristics of Japanese technology, it is better to go easy on a manned space project and take big steps into the science industry with robots. I think robots should be used in space stations, and sent to the Moon and Mars aggressively. Of course I don't mean humanoid type of robots, but it might be interesting to send a humanoid robot to the Moon just to take a symbolic picture. Just to imagine ASIMO (a well-known Japanese humanoid robot) walking around the surface of the Moon is so thrilling. This is the image that will show the world the advantages and idiosyncrasies of Japanese technologies. Of course realistically it is no use for ASIMO to go to the surface of the Moon. Besides, ASIMO will take only a few steps, and get stuck. But the fact that a humanoid robot went to the Moon and walked two or three steps autonomously would be implanted in history as the symbolic act of the 21st century robot period, and also as a kind of ultimate goal of human technology. Thinking about America sending men to the Moon in the Apollo Project, it was a symbolic action. Almost all the things that humans did in that project could be done with robots. It can be described as simply an effort to demonstrate the superiority of American technology that humans took the trouble to do those things. This is the same thing. It is valuable to carry out in order to raise Japan's national prestige. "Moreover, in the long term, we could keep on sending robots to the Moon and Mars, and let them establish a base to develop there, or a lunar-surface astronomical observatory on the far side of the Moon (it should allow the best observation without interference from electromagnetic waves from Earth). I want JAXA to draw these kinds of big dreams."
[ Interview : September 27, 2003 ]
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