Deep Space ー To the Moon and Beyond

An exhibition titled "Deep Space – To the Moon and Beyond" is presently being held at the Miraikan, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. It showcases the latest in space exploration technology, some of it shared with the public for the first time. In Tokyo's Odaiba district, it runs through September 28.

Incredibly, you have to be over retirement age to remember when humankind first walked on the moon. Twelve men have done so, only four of whom are still alive. Even more peculiarly, when asked for the name of the first man who did so, inordinate numbers of Japanese will reply with that of the Russian, Yuri Gagarin.

There is always a pause before giving the answer of Gagarin, however, (or occasionally Mr Apollo). Most probably suspect that it had to have been an American, but struggle to recall a name.

In fact, however, Gagarin was the first man to journey into space. That was on April 12, 1961. By doing so, he managed to find his way into Japanese school texts with a prominence that eluded Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the moon. That was on July 20, 1969.

Neil Armstrong's name also seems absent from the exhibition information panels. That is not actually inappropriate, however. Getting to the moon is old news. The challenge of the present is to establish a moon base, then move on to Mars and beyond.

This Time to Stay

The exhibition explains that Japan is a participant in the United States-led Artemis program, which plans a return to the moon and the establishment of a permanent presence there. Japan has signed the Artemis Accords. They advance scientific exploration, as well as lay groundwork for establishing international space norms and protocols regarding economic activities.

Japan's most notable contribution to the program is one of the main features of the exhibition: a Toyota-badged space rover. The substantial vehicle is pressurized and designed as a mobile lunar outpost in which astronauts can live and explore without the burden of spacesuits. It is designed for long-distance missions and fpr travel up to 10,000 km over 10 years. This vehicle will greatly reduce the burden of living and working on the lunar surface.

*A full-scale model of the space rover, showing Toyota's name in front. Exhibition view.*

Holidays in Space

Other principal areas of development in the space industry include space tourism and private enterprise participation. While companies like Elon Musk's Spa c eX capture most of the headlines, it is interesting to learn that over 100 Japanese start-ups are active in the field, alongside many well-known Japanese companies. And, the market is expected to double over the coming decade.

Space tourism is promised to be broadly available for future generations. For now, however, it is the preserve of the super rich. In 2021, Yusaku Maezawa, founder of Zozotown, traveled to space as a private citizen and stayed on the International Space Station. Both the Soyuz spacecraft in which he made the trip and a pressurized suit worn by crew members are on display.

#3 - The Sokol pace suit that was actually worn by Yusaku Maezawa. (©Paul de Vries)

*Soyuz spacecraft descent module. Exhibition view.*

The broad range of additional exhibits includes models of rockets, the satellite technology that enables accurate weather forecasting and smartphone coverage, explanations of black holes, and various telescope varieties. The Hayabusa missions, in which Japan famously returned asteroid samples to Earth, are also featured. Many of the exhibits are interactive, with wide appeal to kids.

*The Sokol space suit that was actually worn by Yusaku Maezawa. ©Paul de Vries)*

New Challenges for New Generations

Space is indeed the final frontier. Game-changing discoveries are made every year. Some of those changes, however, can be hard to digest. Those who can remember the moon landings (or even those who are a generation younger) grew up with a solar system that comprised 9 planets. Today, the solar system has only 8. Pluto, the favorite of many, lost its planetary status in 2006.

Does Deep Space – To the Moon and Beyond give Pluto its historical due, or does it join Neil Armstrong in the list of afterthoughts? The curators chose the scientific alternative, not the emotional one. Well, as space is such a forward-thinking field, I guess it's best not to live in the past!