📜 Content
The JAXA Tsukuba Space Center is Japan's largest space development facility, conducting various missions from the development and utilization of artificial satellites to the research and development of rockets and transportation systems, as well as astronaut training.
Covering an area roughly equivalent to 12 Tokyo Domes, the center features multiple buildings constructed for research and development purposes. Near the main entrance of the space center, there is a display of the fully domestically produced "H-II rocket." Measuring about 50 meters in length, weighing approximately 260 tons, and with a diameter of 4 meters, it is an actual model built for ground testing in the early stages.
In the center's exhibition hall, "Space Dome," there are test models used for the development of artificial satellites and rocket engines, as well as scale models that are the same size as the actual equipment, accompanied by detailed functional descriptions. Notably, there is a life-size model of the Japanese experimental module "Kibo," which is part of the International Space Station (ISS). Its intricate internal details allow visitors to experience what it feels like to be an astronaut.
Guided tours (by reservation) include a viewing of an introductory video about the Tsukuba Space Center, a visit to the various monitoring instruments housed in the "Kibo" Japanese experimental module, and a look at the operational control room that assists astronauts from the ground, as well as facilities used for astronaut selection, training, and health management.
