Developing and Conducting a Science Education Program on Human Space Activities

摘要

1．Introduction Since the first human space flight by Yuri Gagarin in 1961, the outer space has become a new frontier for mankind. Human space activities in the world have developed into the period of international cooperation by the International Space Station, ISS, in the 2000s. The operation of the ISS until 2024 is determined internationally. Japan's "First period of Human Space Activity" began with deciding to participate in the ISS program and selecting Japanese astronauts participating in the first material experiment in 1985. Through the short-term human space missions, Japan acquired essential technologies for human space activities such as space experiment technology, robot arm operation technology, and extravehicular activity technology. "Second period of Manned Space Activity" began with the mission of installing the Japan Experiment Module, "Kibo", to the ISS in 2008. Long-term missions by Japanese astronauts start from this period, and then Japan acquired technologies such as astronaut training techniques, human space facility operations, long-term space experiments, space cargo ship operations. However, during these human space activities for more than 30 years, there has never been university educations to understand whole human space activities systematically and to foster human resources that will play important role in human space activities in the future. It is an urgent task to foster young talented person who supports the current diversifying human space activities and develop the space industry more in the future. The area of human space activities covers not only natural science and technology such as rocketry, communication, robotics, and space science but also other academic disciplines such as medical science, biology in the extreme environment of space, social sciences, and legal and ethical studies. It is necessary to create comprehensive science for human space activities by organic combinations of these disciplines. The objective of th