More Delays For Japan’s HOPE-X Shuttle

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More Delays For Japan’s HOPE-X Shuttle

Japan has temporarily placed plans to develop an unmanned space shuttle on hold. Japan had originally planned to launch the H-2 Orbiting Plane Experiment (HOPE-X), in 2004. The program has already suffered four years of delay. This freeze is the result of questions raised over how the shuttle should be launched. An advisory panel has proposed that a reusable jet plane be used to lift the shuttle off the ground instead of launching by rocket. The original concept used the HII(A) to launch the shuttle. This latest idea, raised by the panel, is to use a jet engine to get the HOPE-X vehicle off the ground.

The HOPE-X is designed to conduct scientific experiments and ferry payloads up to 3 metric tons using a design based on the U.S. space shuttle.

HOPE-X is a joint project between the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) and Japan’s National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL). Japan has spent US$238 million on the project.

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August 7, 2000