Japan's space agency is giving special soldering iron training to technicians who manufacture parts for H-IIA rockets to help them improve the quality of their work.
The idea for the training came in January when a last-minute problem cropped up in a part for a H-IIA at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. plant in Aichi Prefecture. The rocket was to be loaded with a satellite to gather intelligence for the government.
That led the agency to begin offering special training to technicians at 25 companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., in March.