文部科学省定下宇宙計画目標: 探索火星

A few weeks ago the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

火星有人探査、日本も目標に…文科省が検討案

2014年05月31日 08時57分

　文部科学省は、将来の宇宙計画の一つに、国際協力による火星への有人探査を目標に掲げる案をまとめた。

　国際宇宙ステーション（ＩＳＳ）運用後の国際宇宙探査などを検討する同省の有識者会議に、３０日示した。

　同省によると、火星への有人探査を、国が目標として明示するのは初めて。７月にも決定し、政府の宇宙政策委員会に報告する。

　同省の案では、有人火星探査に必要な巨額な費用や技術開発は各国で分担した上で、月での無人探査や有人長期滞在などを段階的に計画を進めるとした。

　宇宙での有人長期滞在の技術を開発するために、ＩＳＳで培った技術や経験を最大限に活用することが効率的だと指摘。有人火星探査を行う意義については、日本の科学技術力の向上に加え、産業競争力の強化にもつながるという。

(試譯文)

    The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology put forward a proposal that one of its future space plans was to have a manned expedition to Mars with international cooperation.

    It was shown in an expert meeting held on the 30th (May) by the said Ministry which considered about international space reconnaissance flights after the International Space Station (ISS) became operational etc.

    According to the said Ministry, this was the first time for the country to specify a manned expedition to Mars as a target. After making a decision in July it would report to the Governmental Space Policy Committee.

    In a proposal of the said Ministry, on top of the sharing the large amount of expense and technical development required for the manned Mars exploration, it supposed to gradually proceed with a plan on the moon: unmanned probing, then a manned long term stay etc.

    In order to develop the technology for the manned long term stay in the universe, there were indications that it would be efficient to utilize to the utmost the experience and technology cultivated by ISS. As for the meaning to perform the manned Mars exploration, in addition to improving the technology power of Japan, it was said that it would also lead to the strengthening of industrial competitiveness.

I think simultaneously to proceed with a plan to probe the moon and to have a manned expedition to Mars would cost Japan a lot of money.