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Mon, Jul 07, 2003

Japanese Rocket Over Weight Limit

GX Rocket Goes On Diet

How to lose 1800 pounds fast and permanently. Sounds like a late-night TV ad, right? Well, it's a real issue for engineers behind the new Japanese GX rocket.

The Kyodo News Agency reports the joint Japanese-US project came in almost a ton overweight because of changes to its fuel tanks.

The solution?

Alter the fuel system, according to GX engineers. The current theory is, if you make the fuel system more simple, it'll have fewer parts. If it has fewer parts, it'll weigh less.

The first stage of the new rocket will be produced at Lockheed-Martin here in the US. The engine is from Russia and the second stage is being manufactured in Japan. The GX will use natural gas as a first-stage propellant -- a worldwide first. But therein lies the rub. Reinforcing the tanks to add enough natural gas capacity for the GX to reach orbit simply cost too much in terms of weight.

Is there a Japanese space agency version of Weight Watchers?

FMI: www.nasda.go.jp

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