Japan to Set up US Shuttle Disaster Response Team

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, February 04, 2003

Japan to Set up US Shuttle Disaster Response Team

Japan on Monday decided to set up a team to collect information and study response measures regarding the disintegration of the US space shuttle Columbia over Texas on Saturday.

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Japan on Monday decided to set up a team to collect information and study response measures regarding the disintegration of the US space shuttle Columbia over Texas on Saturday.

According to Kyodo News, the country will also reconsider related budget requests for fiscal 2004 as space shuttle flights have been put on hold following the disaster.

Columbia's accident is expected to affect the ongoing project to build the International Space Station (ISS) in which Japan is participating, Kyodo said.

"Japan's projects will proceed as scheduled, but as the ISS is an undertaking involving international cooperation, I believe there will be substantial repercussions," Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said.

Earlier Monday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda was quotedas saying, "We will quickly consult relevant countries including the United States about how to proceed with the ISS project."

Concerning the delivery of Japan's experimental module "Kibo (Hope)," to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, scheduled for lateMarch, the council will confer with related scientific agencies onproper arrangements.

Japan's plan was to launch the module on board a US space shuttle in 2006 and dock it with the space station, Kyodo said.

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