Two astronauts on Tuesday practiced using Japan's first manned space laboratory, Kibo, scheduled to become part of the International Space Station, at the Tsukuba Space Center in Ibaraki Prefecture.
Satoshi Furukawa, 41, and Akihiko Hoshide, 37, who were both recently certified as U.S. space shuttle mission specialists, had their practice at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency facility before the media.
"I want to keep up the skills I have and prepare for the launch (of the laboratory) on any day," Furukawa said.
Furukawa operated robotic arms that will be used to move materials for experiments in space, while Hoshide practiced transmitting instructions, including those for changing air filters and preparing experiments, that will be made from Earth to the space laboratory.
The launch of components for Kibo, which the central government initially hoped would begin operating in fiscal 2006, probably will be delayed to 2008 or later due to a reduction in the number of U.S. space shuttle launches.
The ISS is an international project scheduled to be completed in 2010. Sixteen countries are participating, including Japan, the United States, Russia and several European nations.
