Japanese Science Monthly May 2013 | Page 15

This sail would drive ion engines with high specific impulse.4 Electric propulsion for satellites allows earth-orbiting satellites to perform versatile and complex operations.4 When used as the final-stage motor of transportation systems, it could be used for deep-space exploration.4 JAXA is one of the leading researchers in the world on many different aspects of space.

Most people love to fixate on money. This greed set space at the center of the world’s attention. Asteroid mining was once thought of as simple science fiction. However, now, a second space race could begin. Asteroid mining

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International Space Station

is estimated to be a trillion dollar industry, with some asteroids estimated to be worth around $250 billion. Both enterprising businessmen and countries are racing to figure out how to mine resources from these space rocks. The possibility of strengthening their economy convinced Japan to send Hayabusa, a drone, to an asteroid