Japan's Space Tourism Single Stage to Orbit(SSTO) Reusable Rocket. The Kankoh-maru (観光丸, Kankōmaru)

May 13, 2022 | News On Japan

May 13, 2022 (Hazegrayart) - Kankoh-maru is a single-stage reusable orbital passenger aircraft is a proposed vertical takeoff and landing (VTVL), single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO), reusable launch system that has been studied by the Japanese Rocket Society since 1993.

According to a document from July 1997, it would have been manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

　The passenger capacity is 50, which is the same as that of a sightseeing bus, and the crew is a pilot and a stewardess, 2 each. The rooms are two-story, with the seats facing outwards and circular so that all passengers can sit and look out the window. The cockpit and the entrance to the space hotel are on the 2nd floor, and the 2 entrances and exits for takeoff and landing and the toilet are on the 1st floor. The weightless swimming space is a stairwell on the 1st and 2nd floors and has large windows. The entrance on the 2nd floor is doubled, and you can do outside activities if you wear a space suit.

Heavy Rain Triggers Flood Warnings in Tokyo

Heavy rain continued across wide areas of Japan on September 9 after downpours began the previous day, prompting Level 4 flood danger warnings along several rivers in Tokyo and, at one point, a Level 5 emergency safety alert in Nagoya, while forecasters warned that another round of intense rain could hit the Kanto region during the afternoon and evening.

Nagoya Streets Flood as Linear Rainbands Hit Aichi and Gifu

Torrential rain caused widespread flooding across central Japan on September 8, inundating roads in central Nagoya and other cities as linear rainbands formed over Aichi and Gifu prefectures and authorities warned that similar conditions could develop in the Kanto region through September 9.

Tickets for Asian Games Selling Fast

Ticket sales for the Asian Games are gathering pace with less than two weeks until the competition begins, with more than 60% of tickets sold for the opening ceremony and 31 sports as of September 7, although organizers say seats remain readily available for events including soccer and baseball.

Gasoline Can and Knives Found After Deadly Gifu Cake Shop Blaze

Police investigating a fire that killed three people at a cake shop in Motosu, Gifu Prefecture, have found a gasoline container and multiple knives in the burned-out building and are examining whether a 70-year-old company executive who died after the incident brought the fuel to the scene.

Japanese Teens Spend Least Time on Social Media Among 24 Countries

Japanese 15-year-olds spend an average of 2.3 hours browsing social media during their weekday free time, the shortest amount among 24 countries surveyed, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

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