Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!crdgw1!gecrdvm1!gipp From: GIPP@gecrdvm1.crd.ge.com Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: Re: Japan's Space Industry (was Re: Humanity's Launch Window) Message-ID: <91037.075048GIPP@GECRDVM1.BITNET> Date: 6 Feb 91 11:50:48 GMT References: <197.27AE8D32@nss.FIDONET.ORG> Organization: General Electric Corporate Research & Development Lines: 44 In article , yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi) says: > >In article <197.27AE8D32@nss.FIDONET.ORG> Paul.Blase@nss.FIDONET.ORG (Paul >Blase) writes: > > NS> The only thing the Japanese really have over us is efficiency -- > > The key is that Japanese Industry is taking the initiative and not merely > relying upon government funding. Maybe we're more innovative, but they > are DOING it. > DOING what? the last I heard, they were having mega-problems with their first truly home-grown rocket launcher. True, they are making good headway with their adapted-imports, but why is it that everyone worries about competition from Arianespace,the chinese, and potential Soviet commerce than from the Japanese. >Japanese companies also seem to have more of a long-term vision with >regard to space development. I've heard that Shimizu has plans for an >orbital space station (for tourism), a lunar base, and a Mars base, >and that Ohbayashi has plans for a lunar mining complex. > >Whether these plans will be translated into reality is another issue, >but, still, I wonder whether one could suggest similar ideas to an >American Fortune 500 company without being laughed out of the >boardroom... (or whether one would get to the boardroom in the first >place). >-- I"ve read lots of similar plans for american-based companies, but like you said, there's a world of difference between paper dreams/ studies and metal bending reality. >______________________________________________________________________________ >_ > >Brian Yamauchi University of Rochester >yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu Department of Computer Science >______________________________________________________________________________ >_