[Kakuda City, Miyagi Prefecture] Kakuda City, Miyagi Prefecture, a development base for large rocket engines and a city connected to space

called Kakuda City in Miyagi Prefecture , it may not be well known nationwide.

It is located south of Sendai City, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture, near the prefectural border with Fukushima Prefecture, with the Abukuma River, a first-class river, flowing through the center of the city. In terms of climate, it doesn't snow much and the average temperature is around 12 degrees Celsius, making it a comfortable place to live in the Tohoku region, and agriculture and industry are thriving.

The most interesting thing about it a member of the Galactic Federal Republic . The “Galactic Federal Republic” is a republic (exchange organization) formed in seven cities and towns near space in Japan.

• Taiki Town ,
• Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture
• Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture
• Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture
• Saku City, Nagano Prefecture
• Kimotsuki Town, Kagoshima Prefecture ,

Moreover, it is organized in Kakuda City, Miyagi Prefecture These cities and towns have facilities of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which is a central player in Japan's space development (Ofunato City had a JAXA facility in the past), and they cooperate with each other to become "towns close to space." The aim is to revitalize the town by promoting the town. The headquarters of the “Galactic Federal Republic” is Sagamihara City.

Kakuda Space Center develops rocket engines

This is a long introduction, but the reason why Kakuda City is a member of the Galactic Federal Republic is that JAXA's ``Kakuda Space Center'' is located in the city.

Its predecessor was the ``Aerospace Technology Laboratory (NAL) Kakuda Branch'' established in 1965 (Showa 40), and the ``Kakuda Rocket Development Center'' of the Japan National Space Development Agency (NASDA), which was opened adjacent to it in 2003. They merged and became the Kakuda Space Center.

Kakuda Space Center primarily develops and tests rocket engines, which are the heart of space rockets. In particular, we have achieved a lot of success as a development base for engines for Japan's large rockets H-IIA and H-IIB, as well as engines for the new H-3 rocket that will carry the future. The 60 or so H-II rockets that have been launched to date have only used engines that have passed the test here.

The site of the Kakuda Space Center was a naval gunpowder factory until World War II. The area is surrounded by hills, and adjacent to it is the vast Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Funaoka Garrison, which was chosen because it would be safe from the loud noises and smoke produced during rocket research.

Experience cutting-edge rocket technology at the Space Development Exhibition Room

Although entry to the Kakuda Space Center premises is basically prohibited, there is a Space Development Exhibition Room open for public tours, where you can experience the latest technology in Japan's rocket development.

The ``Space Development Exhibition Room'' exhibits rocket engines and compound engines that still bear the marks of combustion tests conducted at the ``Kakuda Space Center,'' as well as miniature models of successive rockets including the H-IIB, allowing you to witness the history of Japanese rocket development firsthand. can. In the video theater, videos about rockets and space development are shown, and panels introduce the past, present, and future of research.

In particular, the ``Hayabusa Simulator'' allows you to simulate the mission of the asteroid probe ``Hayabusa'', making you feel as if you are the operator of a planetary probe, making you feel excited.

The grounds of the Kakuda Space Center are open to the public only once a year on Kakuda Space Day ( the Kakuda City official website

Kakuda Space Center <Information>

• Facility name: Kakuda Space Center Space Development Exhibition Room
• Address: 1 Koganazawa, Kimigaya, Kakuda City, Miyagi Prefecture
• Phone number: 050-3362-7500 (tour inquiries)
• Opening hours: 10:00-17:00
• Admission fee: Free
• Closed days: November to March/Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (No holidays from May to October), year-end and New Year holidays
• URL: Kakuda Space Center Space Development Exhibition Room

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The full-scale model of the pure white H-IIB rocket is the symbol of the city.

In Daisan Park, located in the center of Kakuda City, stands a full-scale model of the H-IIB, Japan's largest purely domestic rocket, with which the Kakuda Space Center was deeply involved. The H-IIB rocket has a total length of about 56.6 m and a diameter of about 4 m, and is known for launching the Kounotori, which resupplied supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). No. 9 was launched and completed its role.

The H-IIB rocket at Taishan Park is painted white. This is the color at the time of development, and it changed to yellow or orange when it was actually launched. This is a precious color unique to the Kakuda Space Center, which has been involved in rocket engine development from the beginning.

"Cosmo House" where a real rocket engine is on display

"Space Tower" is approximately 44.9m high and has a rocket launch pad motif. The second and third floors are observation rooms equipped with telescopes and other equipment.

"Cosmo House" exhibits real rocket engines used in combustion experiments and real-sized artificial satellites. In the exhibition room, the four themes of "expanding the universe," "exploring the universe," "flying through space," and "opening up the future" are explained in an easy-to-understand manner using multi-screens and photo panels.

Every year on May 5th (Children's Day), the ``Space Kids Festival'' is held mainly at Taishan Park, where events such as ``Pet Bottle Rocket Launch Experience'' are held, and the festival is crowded with parents and children. There are rumors that aliens are also invited on this day. You might come across it somewhere.

Taishan Park＜Information＞

• Facility name: Taisan Park H-IIB Rocket/Space Tower Cosmo House
• Address: 100 Kakuda Ushidate, Kakuda City, Miyagi Prefecture
• Phone number: 0224-63-5839
• Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (until 16:00 from November to February, last entry 15 minutes before)
• Closed: Tuesdays (the following day if Tuesday is a holiday), year-end and New Year holidays (December 29th to January 3rd)
• Admission fee: "Cosmo House" free / "Space Tower" 380 yen for high school students and above, free for junior high school students and below
• URL: Kakuda City Space Tower Cosmo House

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