Japan launches sun-powered space yacht

Japan launches solar-powered Venus probe. Early Friday morning, May 21, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched its H-IIA rocket carrying the Venus climate orbiter "Akatsuki." Once in space, the probe will be powered by an innovative, kite-shaped "space yacht" known as IKAROS (Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun), as explained by Mr. Yuichi Tsuda, Assistant Professor of the JAXA Space Exploration Center. (In Japanese) Mr. Yuichi Tsuda, Assistant Professor of the JAXA Space Exploration Center (M): Briefly speaking, it is like a yacht moving ahead in outer space. A yacht moves ahead by catching the wind over the sea. Similarly, IKAROS can proceed in outer space by receiving light from the sun. Its thickness is 7.5 microns in the thinnest part, which is about one-tenth the thickness of a hair. So, such a thin film could be extended up to 14 meters. VOICE: The sunlight-propelled sail and its probe are expected to reach the orbit of Venus by December 2010, where they will circle the planet for two years, collecting data on its climate, including information about the clouds, temperature and wind velocities. Meanwhile, as Mr. Tsuda explains, IKAROS will separate from the H-IIA rocket. Mr. Yuichi Tsuda (M): Its actual orbit will be moving between the orbits of Venus and that of the Earth. We want to keep testing how it can receive the sun light and how it controls the direction to go ahead as a solar sail in such environment after even having passed half a year. VOICE: Our sincere congratulations Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on your successful launch and we thank Professor Yuichi Tsuda for helping us understand the innovative IKAROS. We look forward to further insights about our Venusian planetary neighbor as well as the green technologies that could power our future.