JAPAN’S NASDA SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH KIRIBATI FOR SHUTTLE LANDING STRIP

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March 13, 2000

JAPAN'S NASDA SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH KIRIBATI FOR SHUTTLE LANDING STRIP

Japan signed an agreement with the Republic of Kiribati to build a landing strip for HOPE-X, an unmanned space shuttle, in the South Pacific republic. Japan’s National Space Development Agency (NASDA) will renovate an old runway at the existing Aeon Airstrip. NASDA will establish storage and other facilities around the strip, and determine building height restrictions and danger zones based on HOPE-X range safety requirements. To prepare the landing site's infrastructure, a water jetty will be created, along with repairing the Cassidy Airport currently in use and widening the A1 road, which connects Cassidy Airport and Aeon Airstrip. Before the final test, expected in 2004, NASDA will carry out a preparatory High-Speed Flight Demonstration experiment at Christmas Island in 2001 using a one-quarter sized model of the real shuttle, equipped with a jet engine. NASDA said it would lease the landing strip for 20 years, with the contract to be reviewed in seven, 12 and 16 years. NASDA said, "The lease will be basically free of charge, but we expect to spend 2.3 billion yen (US$21 million) for the three years (to March 2002) for fixing roads and other necessary infrastructure." NASDA hopes to conduct the final flight experiment on HOPE-X in early 2004 with an H2-A rocket to be launched from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan.

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March 13, 2000

Andrews Space & Technology