7.2 With Japan Japan probably has the most visible and aggressive SPS and Powersat- type programme in the World today. In early 1992. a Japanese delegation organised by the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (MITI) toured the US and other countries to discuss possible cooperation on future SPS-type projects. Importantly also. Japan is the only country to have yet conducted a space-borne Powersat-type experiment (MINIX-1) and are planning an updated version of this experiment in 1992 (MINIX-2). An overview of the Japanese activities was supplied during the MITI tour and was compiled by the Machinery and Technology Department of the Japanese External Trade Organization, or JETRO. This document is printed in full in the Appendix and it describes the technology R&D activities of the various government departments and the efforts of 11 private companies directly and indirectly involved in space power research. Briefly, the SPS studies currently underway are part of the Sunshine Project started in 1974. The Sunshine effort was originally focussed on alternative terrestrial power systems. However, after 16 years of research it was decided to change the policy of this project as a result of a greater awareness of global environmental issues as well as a desire to look for longer-term innovative clean energy solutions. SPS systems were considered as one project capable of fulfilling such objectives and were eventually adopted by the Project as a 30 year R&D effort. The schedule for the SPS activity relative to the other Sunshine Projects activities is shown in Figure 7.2-1. Of all the space-based experiments being studied, the most interesting is that proposed for the second mission of the Space Flyer Unit. The SFU serves a similar function to Europe’s Eureca platform. Its first mission is planned for launch on the third flight of Japan’s H-2 booster in 1995, with recovery by the
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