Author Topic: Imperial News Service (Daitō)  (Read 26087 times)

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Offline Daitō

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #120 on: February 03, 2022, 11:55:36 AM »

Zayasu, Aizawa-Shinoda announce joint venture, new Tenjin variant

Logo of the new venture

Zayasu Aerospace and Aizawa-Shinoda Defense, Space & Security, branches of the larger Zayasu and Aizawa-Shinoda corporations, have announced that they have partnered in a joint venture to manage the launches of their venerable Tenjin family of launch vehicles alongside the Sekidō and Inari rocket families. This joint venture, which has been named TransOrbital Solutions, will provide support for such launches while carrying on development of the Tenjin family and its derivatives, as well as offering launch services to private companies. As part of it, the newly-established TransOrbital Solutions has confirmed that work has continued on a proposed reusable replacement for the Tenjin IC, officially labeled the Tenjin II, alongside the previously-announced Tenjin MLV-V-O and MLV-V-Ka.

A render of the Tenjin II with a Ryū Block V spacecraft, c. 2018

Neither Zayasu Aeropsace or Aizawa-Shinoda Defense, Space & Security have confirmed whether this move is a reaction to the recent presentation by the Revanan Nebulus Aerospace, which sought to demonstrate a reusable booster prior to its failure, although it seems clear regardless that said company will be viewed as the venture's primary competitor. Due to its nature and to regulations in place by the Imperial Government, TransOrbital will be well within range of government oversight, with the venture being viewed as subordinate to the DNSA and will not be permitted to launch its own crew at this time. Nonetheless, the company has stated its intention to allow for foreign spacecraft to fly aboard the Tenjin II platform, whether from Artsiv or from foreign launch sites, with government approval, of course.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #121 on: February 05, 2022, 07:14:54 AM »

Bauer has landed
It is the largest manmade object to land on a foreign body


Artist's conception of Bauer at Mare Ingenii

Following yesterday's landing of the Akari 7 crew on the lunar surface, the DNSA has confirmed that the crew of Ryū M-IV has landed on the lunar surface, making it the second crew to land on the far side of the moon, following their partners from ISEA. With the landing now complete, the crew prepares to spend the next six days on the lunar surface, during which time they will conduct the most extensive manned survey of the lunar surface at Van de Graff crater as well as set up the mission's Far-side Radio Observing Scanning Telescopes (FROST) array. Tomorrow, it is expected that the crew will rendezvous on the surface with their Rokkenjiman counterparts and conduct the first in a series of such surveys. We will continue our coverage of the mission as it happens.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #122 on: March 02, 2022, 10:07:32 AM »

Shirotsuru has launched!

Tenryū at LC-17B, 02/28/22
Yesterday morning, the DNSA successfully launched the Shirotsuru Space Station from its Launch Complex 17A at Artsiv Cosmodrome. This comes following the successful test of the UHS spaceplane, now being known as the Mizuchi program, with the flight occurring last October. The launch was reported to have gone off without a hitch, although the first crew to visit the new station stood by, ready to launch at a moment's notice if any issues were found after it achieved orbit. While the launch was successful, it was decided that the crew of UHS-02B was to launch as soon as possible following confirmed reports that the station's "keep-alive" solar panel was not rotating fully. As such, they launched that afternoon aboard Tenryū that afternoon, spending eight hours in orbit before rendezvousing with the station at 2:00 AM AST.

Shirotsuru from Tenryū, 03/02/22
Following this, the crew of UHS-02B extracted the station's first of three pressurized mating adapters, or PMAs, attaching it to its docking port before docking with the station at 6:00 AM AST. At present, the crew of UHS-02B, led by mission commander Daisuke Hanagata, work tirelessly to inflate the station's intertank crew access tunnels, or ICATs, however little progress has been made in this regard so far. Further updates will be provided as the situation aboard evolves.
Govt. responding to oil spill
The government of Tsukishima circuit has confirmed that it is responding to an oil spill linked to the Ocean's Blessing, one of the largest ocean-going vessels ever built. The Ocean's Blessing reportedly ran aground near the Great Kynean Reef, a mere 445 km off the shore of the island. While not strictly falling under their jurisdiction, the government there dispatched a helicopter to survey the site of the wreck with the goal of gathering enough information regarding the incident before passing it along to the central government in Shinkyō.

The Ocean's Blessing, 03/01/22
The government of Tsukishima has, following this early response to the incident, called for assistance from the Imperial government in responding to what a spokeswoman has called "an ecological disaster the magnitude of which cannot be put into words". The Ocean's Blessing, operated by the Nueva Ardian Andino Oil Company, is capable of carrying up to 4.1 million barrels of oil, oil which is now reportedly draining into the ocean, wreaking significant damage to the area's ecosystem and endangering many unique species of ocean-going fauna, as well as numerous species of birds. While the site is presently entirely contained within international waters, it is believed that this is only a temporary situation and that it will, unless decisive action is taken to curb it, spread to within the nation's exclusive economic zone.

The Imperial Government is presently weighing its options with regards to the situation in the Dauntel, owing to the potential economic damage said oil spill could cause if allowed to spread.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #123 on: March 03, 2022, 05:32:47 AM »

Crew confirms repair of Shirotsuru's Power Module
The crew of UHS-02B has confirmed that they have entered the station following the inflation of its intertank crew access tunnels, which proved troublesome yesterday following their arrival at the station. It was reportedly discovered that the friction between the tunnel's fabric folds had exceeded parameters on the ground, and as such, the crew was ordered to inflate the module slowly so as to mitigate the risk of a "snap-to" inflation, which would risk detaching the tunnel from its mount within the intertank. With this task now completed, the crew has proceeded into the station and has conducted an EVA from the Chiheisen module's airlock, where they dislodged a piece of debris that had become caught in the SPM's rotary joint. With this complete, the panel was capable of then rotating, after which point the SPM was fully deployed to its standard configuration.

A render of Shirotsuru and Tenryū docked together, 03/03/22
The crew of UHS-02B will perform another EVA tomorrow, making use of the station's Yari Remote Manipulator System (RMS) to access the sides of the station's former fuel tank, where they will install a series of handrails to further assist in future EVAs. Following that, the crew will seal the hatch into Shirotsuru and return to Tenryū, where they will seal its hatch as well and depressurize the intertank, after which two ūchunauts, Daisuke Hanagata and Goro Hagihara, will enter the station's liquid oxygen and hydrogen tanks in order to secure them prior to their pressurization on a future mission. An interview with the crew will be held on the sixth, while the crew will return to Mundus on the eleventh.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #124 on: March 05, 2022, 08:48:37 AM »

Tokkō indicates "new" suspect in 6/10 attacks

In a press conference today, Jin Hiraishi, Director of the Tokubetsu Kōtō Keisatsu, indicated that the agency believed it had another suspect in the 6/10 attacks that rocked that claimed the life of His Majesty, Antei Tennō, as well as six others in what was believed to be an attempt on the life of the Heavenly Sovereign. While a previous suspect, Kaiji Hatsu, was taken into custody last September, he was reportedly released following new details in the case that proved he was not linked to it, rather being in the wrong place at the right time. Director Hiraishi went on to say that the Tokkō was looking into groups from foreign powers that may have been responsible, ranging from terrorist organizations to groups within the at-the-time war-torn Republic of Halych, before clarifying that they now believe the assassin hailed from Eastern Aranye, although he gave no specifics as to his actual nationality. Director Hiraishi also did not confirm whether or not this suspect was in the custody of the Tokkō.
Shirotsuru "ready for outfitting", says DNSA

Daisuke Hanagata in the former LOX tank of Shirotsuru, 03/05/22
The crew of UHS-02B, according to the DNSA, completed all primary tasks relating to the UHS-02B mission and are set to begin the second part of their mission on Space Station Shirotsuru, where they will conduct a number of experiments via the Chiheisen laboratory module. This was achieved following a pair of Intravehicular Activities, or IVAs, into the LOX and LH2 tanks of the station by ūchunauts Daisuke Hanagata and Goro Hagihara, who worked tirelessly to inspect the interior of the future modules. This was accomplished with no small risk to the crew, who were required on multiple occasions to "leap" to the top and bottom of the tanks, starting with the LOX tank, where Hanagata-san jammed a sealing plug into the nose LOX tank vent, ensuring that it would hold pressure when the time came. This plug will serve as a backup against valve actuators, ensuring that the crew's air supply will not, when the tank is pressurized, flow the same way that liquid oxygen once did.

Upon completing their IVA into the LOX tank, the pair closed the hatch into it before repeating the job in the much larger Hydrogen tank. This tank required a far greater leap, 25 meters in total, all in near perfect darkness, only illuminated by the lights on their helmets. Once they had ensured that the tank had no damage, they jammed similar plugs into the tank's main fill and drain lines. Once this was completed, they returned to the station's ICATs, sealed the tank, and tested whether they held any pressure. Only after this was confirmed did they repressurize the tunnels, concluding their tasks for the day. With that accomplished, the crew has officially completed all of the tasks deemed necessary to consider the mission a success and will return to Mundus in three days. An interview and guided tour of the station will be occur tomorrow.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #125 on: March 29, 2022, 08:00:30 AM »

DNSA tests new SRB

The DNSA has, in cooperation with TransOrbital Solutions, performed a test on the TO-660X solid rocket booster which is set to help carry the Tenjin MLV-V-Ka rocket into orbit. The test, which was performed at 9:16 PM local time, lasted for 114 seconds and produced 15690.64 kN of force. The glow from the test was reported as being seen from as far as fifty kilometers from the site, while those present reported that it was almost bright enough to be noon. The test, which made use of an SRB only half as long as the one to be used on the Ka, was deemed a total success, and another has been scheduled for the 19th of May.

Test of the TO-660X solid rocket booster, 3/28/22

Imperial Family indicates wedding of Emperor will occur this year

A source within the Imperial Household Agency has indicated that the wedding of His Majesty to Lady Mayumi Tachibana is set to occur at some point later this year. Following several delays owing to both the tradition whereby it is considered inauspicious for an Emperor to marry within a year of taking the throne and the turbulence following the 6/10 attacks, many see this confirmation as a sort of "return to normalcy", although it is clear that much has and will change as the new era proceeds. The source, who asked to remain anonymous, said that while no firm date has been scheduled, they hope that it will occur soon, preferably before the end of spring. Regardless, we here at DHK offer our preemptive congratulations to the Imperial Family as they prepare for such a joyous occasion.
WEATHER --- Shinkyō Metro.: - 10.4°C --- Tenkyō Metro.: - 9.6°C --- Otsu Metro.:  - 9.9°C --- Yuzawa Metro.: - 10.8°C --- Shibetsu Metro.: - 11.6°C --- Urasoe Metro.: - 10.5°C --- Awara Metro.: - 10.3°C --- Goris Metro.: - 27.7°C ---
« Last Edit: April 25, 2022, 09:57:56 AM by Daitō »

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #126 on: April 19, 2022, 08:02:21 PM »

Daitō marks 100 years since the "Great Triumph"
The Parade is the largest since 1945


Members of the Imperial Daitōjin Army on parade in Shinkyō
The Imperial Daitōjin Armed Forces (IDAF) recently celebrated Armed Forces day in a massive parade outside of the Imperial Palace in Shinkyō. The parade, which is held annually in celebration of Daitō's victory over the Ardian Empire in 1922, was held for its 100th time since the Treaty of Awara was signed. This treaty recognized the ownership by the Empire over the western provinces, stolen away in 1868 by the Ardians, as well as ensuring a peace treaty that would last until 1939 when our forces righteously rode once more to the defense of our southern brothers in Toshikawa. But more than that, it proved that we could hold our own with minimal aid from the outside world, too busy with the squabbles of lessers, allowing us to rebuild and proving to the world that we, not the Ardians, would stand for ten thousand generations. Not only that, but it gave our former foes to become as brothers, forged in the fires of cruel war.

Members of the Imperial Guard on the march

A Pair of F-42's take off from an airbase near Shinkyō
His Majesty, the Emperor, attended the military parade, overseeing the troops on display. More than 17,000 thousand strong, this marks the largest parade the Empire has held since the Great War. In his address to those assembled, His Majesty gave remarks on the nation's history since the victory in 1922, the performance of the Armed Forces during the peacekeeping mission in the Republics of Halych and Volhynia, and touched on a need for a "National Revival", although he did not go into detail on this last point. With the conclusion of the parade, the Empire now looks ahead to the coming Imperial Wedding on the 21st.
WEATHER --- Shinkyō Metro.: - 14.4°C --- Tenkyō Metro.: - 12.1°C --- Otsu Metro.:  - 11.76°C --- Yuzawa Metro.: - 16.1°C --- Shibetsu Metro.: - 13.9°C --- Urasoe Metro.: - 13.6°C --- Awara Metro.: - 14.3°C --- Goris Metro.: - 28.1°C ---
(OOC Note: Backdated to April 17th)
« Last Edit: August 12, 2022, 11:09:50 AM by Daitō »

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #127 on: May 07, 2022, 10:27:51 AM »

His Majesty, the Emperor, has wed

We are now reporting that His Majesty, the Emperor, has officially married Lady Mayumi Tachibana at 11:35 AM, Ardian Standard Time. The new Empress Mayumi will take up the duties expected of her following the couple's honeymoon in three weeks time. During this period, Crown Prince Hidehiko has been appointed Sesshō, with him expected to perform the duties of the Emperor until His Majesty returns, after which his post as regent will be rescinded. This period will undoubtedly give the Crown Prince much-needed experience with governance, in the unlikely event that he should take the throne in the event of tragedy. We at DHK offer our best wishes to the new couple as they begin their life together, having followed this story since their engagement was announced in 2018. Nonetheless, for the sake of privacy, we will not cover their honeymoon more than the basics, with it being expected that they will spend time in the Miyako Islands between Tsukishima and Floodwater.
(Backdating this to the 21st of April)

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #128 on: May 09, 2022, 09:43:19 PM »

DNSA clears engine for test flight

Diagram of a Nuclear Thermal Rocket

The DNSA has confirmed plans to test a new Nuclear Thermal Rocket engine ahead of the launch of the propulsion module of the agency's Shirotsuru Inter-Planetary Transfer Vehicle. The Shirotsuru IPTV, whose core module was launched last march and is currently docked to Space Station Kyokkō, will allow for both regular flights to the lunar surface and beyond, with its primary mission being to bring mankind to Nergal. As for the engine, it will make use of a converted Tenjin IVc upper stage, typically used to launch unmanned probes into the outer solar system, as a testbed, being mounted in place of the J-2X engine. The payload, bound for the red planet, will be an electric aircraft developed by the agency's Yuzawa-based Aerospace Development Laboratory (ADL), and is set to search for landing sites on Nergal.

As many of our readers are likely unaware of what a Nuclear Thermal Rocket is, a brief explanation will be provided. A Nuclear Thermal Rocket, or NTR, is a type of engine where the heat from a nuclear reaction, more often than not nuclear fission, replaces the chemical energy found in the propellants of a typical chemical rocket. This external nuclear heat source allows a higher effective exhaust velocity and will double payload capacity compared to chemical rockets which store energy internally. Future versions of the engine will be capable of even tripling such a payload capacity. Projects to develop one have existed since the 1960s, however, the DNSA's program, which was approved in 2004 alongside the Shirotsuru program, is set to be the first to actually fly, with its launch scheduled for this June. If successful, it will open the door to Shirotsuru being able to travel to Nergal in the 2024 transfer window, once construction is completed over the course of the next year and testing in and around Mundus next year. The next module of Shirotsuru, the Heiwa node module, will be launched in three weeks, after which the Kagaku Science Lab in July. Said modules will, until 2024, serve as additional modules of the Space Station, expanding its capabilities, something which will be done while the vehicle is undergoing servicing after its first operational mission.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2022, 10:17:39 PM by Daitō »

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #129 on: May 20, 2022, 05:47:39 PM »

Shirotsuru node module launched

Recap on Akaryū's latest launch

The DNSA has launched the second module of the Shirotsuru Inter-Planetary Transfer Vehicle. This module, known as Tansa, is a node module with two Common Berthing Adapters, or CBAs, designed to provide mounting points for a pair of "tunnels" as part of vehicle's centrifuge, which will provide the crew with a comfortable 0.11 to 0.68g, thus reducing the strain on their bodies while in orbit. Making use of a large bearing capable of keeping the module pressurized while in use, the module, although small compared to those aboard Zenshoen, is very much the most complicated single module to be launched from a mechanical perspective, surpassing even Zenshoen's own Centrifuge Gravity Laboratory, which, although similar in principle, was not used to provide gravity for humans, rather being used to test its affects on small animals such as mice. The module will not receive its booms until later this year, once the rest of the main "spine" of the vehicle is completed. Once these booms are launched alongside their habitation and laboratory modules, the vehicle will undergo a series of three tests to ensure it works in microgravity, having already been tested in a vacuum chamber back in 2019.

The crew of five is set to arrive at the station at 10:00 PM AST and will assist in research aboard the station, joining the crew of Expedition 32 for eight days before returning to Mundus on the 28th. Haruki Akisada, the DNSA's Director, was quoted as saying,
Quote from: Haruki Akisada
Lets be clear, we remain on track to put a man on the surface of Nergal by the end of 2024. However, those who say we are strictly in a race to "beat" Achkaerin to the planet are, frankly, wrong. While yes, it would be an achievement more prestigious than the first moon landing, from a scientific perspective it matters less who is first and more how long we can stay, at least in this regard. As such, we actually hope for Shirotsuru to arrive roughly around the same time as the Achkaerinese, with the goal of extending our presence on the planet's surface throughout the 2024 transfer window, thereby allowing for a far greater scientific output than would be possible on a single mission."

Emperor to nominate new Prime Minister

It is now believed, based on reports coming out of the Imperial Household Agency, that His Majesty will nominate a new Prime Minister after nearly a year without one, during which time the Chancellor, usually the highest officer of the Imperial Cabinet, fulfilled the role. Once he makes his nomination, it will be up to the Imperial Diet, presently held overwhelmingly by the Daitō Fukkatsu Dōmei (DFD), to confirm the pick. However, at present there is no word as to who he has picked. In spite of this, we do have good reason to believe that the decision has already been made, with the most likely pick being as follows.

Official Portrait of Suketoshi Heishi
Suketoshi Himekawa, known alternatively as Suketoshi Heishi, is the most likely choice for Prime Minister. Himekawa-san, who had previously served in the Armed Services and is currently working as an aide to his father, the Chancellor, is a direct descendent of Chancellor Toshikatsu Heishi and a career politician, having gotten his start in 2014, when he served as a member of Awara's City Council following his brother's election as a representative. Owing to his extensive relationship with the party, he has proven popular among the DHD, with his mandate likely to have much support, not to mention enjoying popularity among the populace due to his military service and public speaking ability. Politically speaking, he falls in line with the party's centrist elements, although outside observers have noted that some of his beliefs resemble those held by the party in the mid-80s, indicating a possible shift in his ideology over the last three years. In speeches during a tour around the nation, he took a more nationalistic stance, although he has also stated his continued support for the CSTO.
« Last Edit: May 20, 2022, 07:18:45 PM by Daitō »

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #130 on: May 20, 2022, 08:45:41 PM »

Kanji Akasaki, Daitō's first spacefarer, has died

Akasaki-sensei in 2018

"The world mourns the loss of seven of its sons and daughters, the nation, brave heroes now commended to the sea of time. But as we mourn their loss, we must look ahead to the next mountain-top, for only by looking ahead can we see the rising sun." These were the some of the words that Kanji Akasaki said at the memorial service for the ill-fated crew of UHS-25 in 1986. Today, we mourn another hero's passing from this world and into the next, as we have been noted that Kanji Akasaki has passed away at the age of 95. He is survived by his son, Kagemori, and daughter, Natsue, as well as five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Akasaki-sensei was Daitō's first ūchunaut, flying aboard Suzaku II on the 26th of August, 1961. He would subsequently command Taka II on April 16th, 1965, Ryū IV in 1973, Kyuden III in 1976, UHS-1 in 1981, and finally UHS-9 in 1983. He served as Chief of the Ūchunaut Office from 1975 until 1999, where he made a name for himself as a stern, determined leader who prioritized his crew's safety over everything else. He is set to be given a state funeral in two weeks time, although there are proposals that some of his ashes be placed at Oceanus Procellarum on the Lunar Surface during the next Tsuki mission in June, with it being particularly symbolic due to the site being planned for the first Washi Program Lunar Landing, which he was set to command.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #131 on: May 30, 2022, 12:28:31 PM »

Daitō's new Prime Minister takes office


The Daitō Fukkatsu Dōmei's members of the Imperial Diet recently came together to vote on the Emperor's nominee for the office of Prime Minister, Suketoshi Heishi. Of the 460 Diet members, many of whom attended the vote via Arasaka's Sakura Connect web conferencing software, 411 voted to confirm him as Prime Minister, 42 voted against, and 7 abstained from the vote or voted present. With said votes, the DHD, which makes up a majority in the Imperial Diet, has formally appointed Suketoshi Heishi as Prime Minister as of the 27th of May, with him being officially inaugurated today. The new Prime Minister was quick to make a speech on his confirmation, calling, in colorful language mimicking the speeches of his ancestor, Toshikatsu Heishi, for the Imperial government to take action to undo the damage caused by the post-bubble economy, essentially continuing the policies of his predecessors since 2020. He also called for initiatives to be made for the preservation of the Onishic culture, which he rightly claimed were under assault by the Occident and by consumerism. Whether such policies will prove successful remains to be seen, with some questioning what success would even look like in that particular field, but such rhetoric has proven popular in the past, so it may very well be, as some observers have noted, an effort to drum up further support behind him and the Imperial government. The new Prime Minister was quick to also announce plans to visit a number of countries with the goal of "restoring old alliances and making new ties", although it yet again remains to be seen who he was referring to.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #132 on: June 03, 2022, 06:43:08 AM »

Imperial Family to move

The Tenkyō Imperial Palace's Shishinden Main Hall, viewed through the Jomeimon gate

The Imperial Household Association has confirmed that, ahead of scheduled renovations to the Imperial Palace in Shinkyō, His Majesty and the Imperial Family will temporarily relocate to the Tenkyō Imperial Palace. With its earliest iteration going back to the late 8th century, the current palace, which was built in the 18th century following a fire which also damaged the Imperial Library, spans an area of around roughly four kilometers and overlooks the Rokkenjiman Sea. The palace had left unoccupied following the war in 1868 which saw Ardian forces seize lands up to the Ashida river, some 60km from Tenkyō, with it having remained out of use in the 154 years since then. However, until recently, it had remained open as a museum, though the then-Crown Prince Eijiro briefly resided in the palace as part of his studies in 2012. Some expect that, should renovations in Shinkyō drag along behind schedule, the palace in Tenkyō could become the official residence of the Emperor in perpetuity, with it having been updated to allow it in 2016 following a brief scare with Emperor Antei's health.

The Imperial Family is expected to reside in Tenkyō until 2024.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #133 on: June 05, 2022, 10:25:41 AM »

DNSA Launches Nergal Sky Sailor

An Ineko III Heavy rocket lifts off carrying the Nergal Sky Sailor and its Nuclear-powered transfer vehicle
4 June, 2022

The DNSA launched its latest mission to the red planet today, that being the "Nergal Sky Sailor", an electric aircraft designed to survey an area of around 1,700 kilometers, or roughly a quarter of the planet's circumference, over the course of a twelve hour flight. The aircraft, nicknamed "Funanori" or, simply put, "Sailor", will, during its relatively brief flight, investigate in detail a number of sites in and around the red planet's equatorial region, pinpointing locales for missions both crewed and uncrewed over the course of the next few decades, with the DNSA expressing an interest in sites around the Valles Marineris canyon system, which could provide greater insights into earlier periods of Nergal's geological development. Other sites include Victoria Crater and Shalbatana Vallis, with the former being deemed the most likely site for a first crewed landing owing to extensive knowledge of the region's terrain and the existence of a rover in the region that could be used as a sort of beacon for any lander approaching the site. The aircraft is capable of landing after a twelve hour flight, where it will spend a period of time prescribed by Mission Control recharging. Once that is completed, it can be commanded to take off again, after which it will resume its exploration of Nergal's skies.

Prototype of Nergal Sky Sailor, 2019
Alongside the Sky Sailor aircraft, this flight marks the operational test flight of a nuclear thermal engine, or NTR. Such an engine, which operates on a different premise than a chemical rocket owing to it making use of externally-heated propellant as opposed to the exothermic reduction-oxidation chemical reactions of propellants used on conventional rockets. While previously, engines such as these had been proposed, and indeed some had been tested as early as the late 1960s, for varying reasons they had not been able to fly. This flight, therefore, marks the beginning of a new era of spaceflight, as it is the first test of a nuclear thermal rocket in orbit, let alone beyond the kármán line.

An example of a Nuclear Thermal Rocket such as that used for the Sky Sailor mission
Starting at 3:45 AM on the 5th of June, the engine performed its Trans-Neral Injection Burn, or TNI burn for short; this burn lasted for a total of 34 minutes, putting it on a trajectory which will, in roughly a month-and-a-half's time, bring the vehicle within Nergal's Sphere of Influence, or SOI on the 17th of July, 2022. On that day, designated Sol 0, the vehicle will perform a second burn for roughly the same amount of time, putting the spacecraft into a Low Nergal Orbit, or LNO. The day after, the aircraft's aeroshell and orbiter will detach from the propulsion element, with said aeroshell entering Nergal's atmosphere at 0800 UTC before breaking in two, releasing the aircraft which will then begin its first flight. It is expected to operate for, at a minimum, three days, whereby it will have travelled enough of a distance far enough to have travelled around Nergal one and a half times.

Diagram of Sky Sailor's deployment process

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #134 on: June 08, 2022, 12:33:37 AM »

Government announces investment in infrastructure, energy sector

Prime Minister Heishi, on behalf of the Imperial Diet, announced that the legislature has voted to enact a bill which would allocate $330 billion in government funding over the next few years as an investment into the nation's infrastructure and energy sector. Such a move is meant to encourage further development and upgrades to such vital sectors while promoting further employment. As part of this, the government wants to see an additional twelve nuclear reactors brought online over the course of the next few years, while an additional 400km are to be added to the Shinkansen High Speed Railway service and 600km of new roads. In addition, it has allocated some of this funding for new technologies, with a heavy focus on, again, nuclear energy, with notable cases being the development of small modular reactors, or SMRs, and nuclear microreactors, which would revolutionize power generation the world over. It is hoped that this move, on top of further measures to be taken later down the line, will help to ease the worst affects of the recession that Daitō experienced in 2019, with it remaining on track to see renewed growth by the year's end.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #135 on: June 19, 2022, 09:34:20 AM »

Shirotsuru's next module launches

The DNSA has launched the next module of the Shirotsuru Interplanetary Transfer Vehicle, in this case a node module which will allow it to, in theory, host a pair of manned landers or the aeroshell for a probe, depending on mission parameters. This comes shortly after the vehicle's centrifuge was inflated earlier this week, which will allow crews to spend further time outside of Mundus's gravity well and enabling safe travel to Nergal and beyond. The station's commander, Mitsuo Yanagida, who is set to return to Mundus later this week alongside the crew of Zenshoen 22A, had the chance to assist in installing the node, capturing photos of the vehicle while on EVA. The mission also delivered the vehicle's remote manipulator system, or RMS.

Photo from Shirotsuru's centrifuge module, Mitsuo Yanagida c. 2022

The first flight of the UHS Block III is set for the 28h of June, where it will deliver a pair of "pocket labs" to the vehicle, increasing its scientific capability and unlocking further secrets of the universe. The UHS Block III's orbital flight test, if successful, will enable the DNSA to complete the vehicle in record time, thus allowing it to perform its first free flight in December.
Project Suirō completes testing, breaks record

The Q3N Type 82 "Suirō"

The Imperial Daitōjin Navy confirmed earlier today that it had completed testing of the Q3N Type 82 Suirō class wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) vehicle has completed its testing and is set to enter service in the coming months. Though designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol, it is meant to also be capable of limited ground attack capabilities, having hardpoints capable of supporting unguided bombs alongside the standard array of torpedoes, depth-charges, naval mines, and active/passive sonobuoys. A spokesperson for the IDN reported that during testing, it reached a top speed of 760 km/h and had a cruise speed of 640 km/h, well above the previous record set by East Moreland's Ekra-Badger 1.

It was confirmed later that the Imperial Daitōjin Navy has ordered a flight of six vehicles for a total cost of roughly $972 million, with them being set to enter service by the end of August. Negishi Aerospace has not commented on whether the vehicle will be for sale abroad at this time, although it seems likely that at a bare minimum a few could be sold to the nation's allies.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2022, 02:25:48 PM by Daitō »

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #136 on: June 29, 2022, 08:54:38 PM »

UHS Block III performs first Orbital Flight Test

The DNSA launched its first UHS Block III spacecraft on a mission to Shirotsuru earlier today, carrying a pair of pocket laboratories and a radiation shield in its payload bay. The Block III spacecraft is a further evolution of the UHS Orbiter which first flew in 1981, being designed for complete reusability and rapid turnaround, although critics have pointed out that the ambitious plans for it flying once a week are, in a similar vein to the original UHS spaceplane, unlikely to be fully achieved. Nonetheless, the orbiter that launched today was designated as US-302, or Danketsu, being representative of the unmanned IIIA subclass of orbiter featuring no quarters for crew and an extended payload bay for larger objects to be carried aboard. Danketsu is set to rendezvous with Zenshoen later today, carrying with it a pair of so-called "pocket laboratories", a set of two sets of OMS fuel tanks, and mountings for Shirotsuru's RMS. With this step, the segment of the vehicle designed for the crew will soon be declared complete. The final construction flight for the vehicle, set for July 5, will deliver the vehicle's drive segment and a remote manipulator system.

Shirotsuru also completed testing on its centrifuge earlier this week, being rated for a solid three-quarters of Mundus Gravity.
"Storm of Steel 1944" tops Box Offices in Daitō

The Poster for "Storm of Steel 1944", inspired by the war films of the 1950s and 60s
"Storm of Steel 1944", a war film following the story of the IDN Fusō in its protracted battle with the Heyran KS Monarch between the 20th and 23rd of March, 1944, recently topped the Box Office across Daitō, grossing roughly $26,783,911 (¥2,142,712,880) in its opening weekend. Starring Haruhisa Sanada, Daizō Aratama, and Gérard Decaux, and with a supporting cast of veteran actors, the film, which runs for roughly two hours and sixteen minutes, was released to strong reviews by critics, with many praising its cinematography and sound design, while others applauded its plot, which is divided between the crews of the two vessels. The Film's director, Jiro Kamasaki, said in an interview that he wanted to examine the war from both sides, specifically focusing on the experience of the average crewman rather than just on the commanding staff of vessels such as those featured in the film, standing in contrast to older films which rarely showed their perspectives.

The film will remain in theaters until August 8th, with an at-home release for DVD and streaming coming later this year.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2022, 05:17:09 PM by Daitō »

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #137 on: July 04, 2022, 04:00:47 AM »

Daitōjin economy grew 1.9% in second quarter

Daitōjin economic growth since Q1 2020

The Daitōjin economy grew by around 1.9% since last quarter, according to the State Ministry of the Treasury on the 2nd of July, marking the highest quarterly growth rate in the country since 2018. This, alongside statistics from Q1 2022, which saw the nation's GDP grow by 1.1%, has securely indicated that the recession in the Empire has well and truly come to an end. Now standing roughly around $7,696,095,910,944 (¥615,687,672,875,520), experts predict that the country's economy could potentially continue to grow with continued government programs such as those taken last month by the Heishi administration, which is expected in the coming weeks and months. However, even if the government fails to act, many believe that the worst fallout of the 2019 recession has been weathered and that the country's economy is on track to return to its position prior to the recession by the end of the year.
Emperor, Empress to attend Festival of Sail

the IDN Hikōkyōi in Floodwater, c.2016
A source within the Imperial Household Agency confirmed that His Majesty, the Emperor, and Empress Mayumi will attend the 2022 Festival of Sail aboard the imperial yacht, IDN Hikōkyōi. The vessel, built in 2005, will be accompanied by a military escort comprising frigates IDN Hōshō and Katsura up to the edge of Morelander waters, at which point its security will be turned over to local authorities. Furthermore, it will join the SS Akatatsu and SS Kamakiri-maru for the duration of the festival, taking part in the parade on Day One before leaving six days later, presumably to visit Altona, if the source is correct, before returning home, although they did not rule out any further stops in region, likely including a brief stop in Rishiri. Nonetheless, Daitōjin citizens attending the festival may no doubt take great joy in having such important guests present for the coming event.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #138 on: July 05, 2022, 04:34:54 PM »

Shirotsuru completed, formally christened
The DNSA launched the final segment of the Shirotsuru Interplanetary Transfer Vehicle earlier today, that being its engine segment. Launched aboard a Tenjin MLV-V-Ka launch at 4:16 AM local time, this final, most important section of the vehicle holds both the main engine block of the vehicle and its solar and radiator arrays. Also carried up was the vehicle's Remote Manipulator System, which will, much like the one aboard Zenshoen, be used to grapple payloads such as the reusable lander presently docked to the station. As part of the ceremony marking its completion, and in order to move away from the name "Shirotsuru", which was officially just the project name for the vehicle class, the DNSA officially renamed Shirotsuru to Sojourner, owing to its nature as a vessel meant to travel between the planets. Indeed, though its first official mission will be to travel to Nergal, there are plans for it to travel throughout the inner solar system over the coming decades, with the potential for its service area to be extended with ever-advancing technology.

Sojourner is expected to begin its first test flight in Low Mundus Orbit later this week, remaining undocked for two weeks alongside a crew of four from Zenshoen 22B before returning to the station on the 22nd, once Tytor's Space Shuttle Albion has returned home.

Interplanetary Transfer Vehicle "Sojourner"

Deputy State Minister of Foreign Affairs tours the Peninsula
Deputy State Minister of Foreign Affairs Harukichi Mishima recently returned home from a tour of the Ardian Peninsular countries of Ardia, Nueva Ardia, and Toshikawa today, during which time he discussed matters of trade and worked tirelessly to improve relations between the Empire of Daitō and the peninsular nations. Perhaps indicating a shift in Daitō's outlook on relations within East Ardia, it remains to be seen just what the outcome of these continued talks will be. Regardless, the State Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that envoys can be expected to visit other nations in the region in the coming weeks and months, notably Lijiang, Cassiopeia, and New Derusmia, although when asked, it neither confirmed nor denied that any plans exist for a visit to Heyra or Phuebra.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #139 on: July 09, 2022, 11:17:20 PM »

Representative calls for referendum on CSTO membership

Rep. Goro Akihara, Taiki Prefecture, makes the case for a referendum on CSTO Membership, 7/9/2022

Representative Goro Akihara of Taiki Prefecture proposed that the Imperial Government conduct a referendum among its population so as to determine whether it will continue to pursue its membership within the Cross Straits Treaty Organization. This comes following a sharp decline in the alliance's popularity since the Empire first ratified the Cross Straits Treaty in 2020, with, according to a poll by DHK in June 2021, just 50.6% of those polled showing support for Daitō's membership in the CSTO. Many question the need for Daitō to remain in the organization, given the lack of a genuine threat outside of the alliance, something which has not existed since the fall of the USR and is likely not to be the case for a long time. Others note the organization's failure to evolve to meet the changing requirements of the modern world, with some going as far as to say that the CSTO may possibly be rendered obsolete. And of course, there are those who view Daitōjin interests as being hampered by membership within the alliance, given recent actions taken by its various members.

As for Rep. Goro Akihara, he has long been opposed to Daitōjin involvement with the Cross Straits Treaty Organization, making up but one of a considerable faction within the Daitō Fukkatsu Dōmei which opposed the nation's ratification of the treaty. Though initially rather small, since 2020 it has grown to make up one of the largest voting blocs within the Imperial Diet, with its members holding 241 seats within the House of Representatives and 138 seats in the House of Peers, or 379 seats out of 713 controlled by the DFD in the Imperial Diet as of today. Representative Akihara has been noted to share many of the same beliefs as those voiced in the survey that DHK held. He has, however, noted that the referendum he proposes should be held after the annual CSTO summit has completed, that way the public can be aware of all of the facts necessary before making their decision.
Imperial Daitōjin Armed Forces to expand
The Chief of Staff of the Imperial Daitōjin Armed Forces, Gensui-Rikugun-Taishō Okimoto Esashi, recently announced plans for the IDAF to conduct its largest expansion since 1977, with plans existing for all branches of the Armed Forces to see such an expansion and modernization. Of note are plans for the Imperial Daitōjin Navy to increase its number of Ikazuchi-class Guided Missile Destroyers from eight to sixteen, as well as to add a further six vessels of the planned Myōkō-class guided missile destroyer. While it hasn't been confirmed whether the proposal has been selected, some believe that Daitō may seek to expand its carrier fleet with the addition of a further pair of vessels belonging to the under construction Taihō-class, with the first vessel of the class intended to replace the IDN Utsugi by the end of the decade. What has been confirmed, with regards to the navy, is that plans exist to expand the country's fleet of submarines alongside its surface fleet.

Beyond the navy, Esashi called for a renewed push to recruit new personnel for all branches, notably Daitō's ground forces, and has indicated that plans exist to establish an additional three squadrons to the Imperial Daitōjin Air Force, likely being made up of aircraft such as the J9As muiltirole fighter and L8Z transport aircraft. These plans will, of course, take some time to complete, although it should be noted that some of the vessels planned were already under construction, simply being paused due to the recession. The State Ministry of Defense has not confirmed whether any of its plans may be changed to purchase equipment from foreign firms. As an aside, the country's military budget was finally approved, granting the Imperial Daitōjin Armed Forces a new budget of 2.9%, raising it from the previous 2.2% from last year.
« Last Edit: October 10, 2022, 06:56:34 PM by Daitō »

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #140 on: July 14, 2022, 04:23:44 PM »

Daitō holds referendum on CSTO membership

An English-language Ballot, made for members of Daitō's immigrant community

The Daitōjin government held a public referendum on membership in the Cross Straits Treaty Organization yesterday, sending out ballots to each household in order to determine whether it will remain or leave. This came after the Diet passed a bill to permit the referendum previously, with some observers noting how quick the government was to issue and deliver the ballots, potentially indicating that it had been planning such a move for quite some time. Nonetheless, for those who missed our live coverage of the results last night, of those who responded, 55.76% voted to leave while 44.24% voted to remain within the organization. While the exact number of ballots which were returned has not been released, an official within the government said that it was around 66-72% of the population. With this vote, the Imperial Government is now obligated to formally submit a notice of its withdrawal from the organization, which is likely to occur within the next two days. Many expect that the state will leave the organization effective August 1st, however, this is only speculation. Nonetheless, we at DHK will continue to provide live coverage of this process as it occurs.
UHS Block III makes second flight

Artist's depiction of a KA-11 recon satellite

DNSA launched its second flight of the UHS Block IIIA Spacecraft early this morning, carrying a KA-11 KESSHŌ reconnaissance satellite on behalf of the Imperial Daitōjin Space Force into an orbit between 548 and 773km and with an inclination of 98°. Having been formally cleared for re-flight a few days ago, this marks a new record turnaround time for an orbital vehicle by DNSA, going from landing to launch in just eight days owing to the vehicle's innovative inconel-based metallic thermal protection system, which was designed to both be safer and easier to maintain than the LI-900 silica ceramic-based tiles flown on previous generations of UHS and PLS spacecraft, as well as its modernized engines which are far simpler to maintain after reentry. While not quite living up to its once-a-week flight plan immediately, many expect that as flights continue, such plans may become feasible, further driving down the price per kilogram as commercial options open up.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #141 on: July 22, 2022, 12:44:31 PM »

Imperial Household Agency to lift restrictions on use of Imperial Chrysanthemum Seal

The Imperial Household Agency has struck down its long-standing policy established in 1922 restricting the use of the Imperial Chrysanthemum Seal in foreign affairs as an act of solidarity with the then-exiled Rokkenjiman Royal Family, which had fled Rokkenjima following the establishment of the Federal Republic. With their restoration on the 30th of September, 2013, the the Agency began an admittedly long-lasting process building towards restoring the use of the symbol by the Empire of Daitō beyond on internal use. As opined by Hisato Watase, the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency,
Quote
The Abandonment of the Chrysanthemum as the symbol of the Imperial House on the global stage was but a symptom of the decline of the Empire's standing among the great powers of the age. As this century of struggle draws to a close, so too should this error be rectified, a reminder that the great dragon of the east, once slumbering, has been awoken, never to rest again.
—Hisato Watase, Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency
As part of this policy being lifted, the agency has readopted a number of flags to be used by the Imperial Family in lieu of the previous set, which will be fully phased out the end of the year. These flags will feature the Chrysanthemum in place of the rising sun, which, while a symbol of Daitō, will no longer represent the Imperial Family as a whole.
Tadakatsu Haruno in the ASA

Tadakatsu Haruno, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, made a visit to the Allied States of Ardia earlier this week, where he assisted in negotiations regarding a potential free trade agreement with the Ardian government. While the details of such an agreement have not yet been disclosed, one can expect a similar deal to that which was struck between the Empire of Daitō and Rokkenjima in 2020. Also unconfirmed but nonetheless anticipated is the likely extension of such a free trade agreement to both Nueva Ardia and Toshikawa, given a recent, renewed push by Daitō to befriend the peninsular countries. Such a gracious offer will no doubt be well-received by the Ardians, who have in the past been both friend and foe to Daitō, with such a move likely cementing their relationship as being the former going forwards.
« Last Edit: July 23, 2022, 05:44:15 AM by Daitō »

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #142 on: July 27, 2022, 09:19:21 AM »

Final Flight of the UHS Block I Spacecraft

The following is a transcript of the final launch of Tenryū on the UHS 226 mission to resupply Zenshoen. The crew, making use of a pair of Extended Duration Orbiter pallets (EDO) will remain there for three weeks, during which time the station will also be visited by a UHS Block II spacecraft which is set to carry the second half of the Zenshoen 22B crew to the station.
Spoiler: show

   -00:09:43:   [Flight Director]: Alright, UHS-226 Flight Controllers, one after another, give me a GO/NO-GO for launch. ACO?
   -00:09:37:   [ACO]: Go.
   -00:09:36:   [Flight Director]: Booster?
   -00:09:35:   [BOOSTER]: We're go.
   -00:09:34:   [Flight Director]: DPS?
   -00:09:33:   [DPS]: Go, flight.
   -00:09:32:   [Flight Director]: EECOM?
   -00:09:31:   [EECOM]: Go.
   -00:09:30:   [Flight Director]: EGIL?
   -00:09:29:   [EGIL]: Go.
   -00:09:28:   [Flight Director]: EVA?
   -00:09:27:   [EVA]: We're go on this end.
   -00:09:26:   [Flight Director]: FAO?
   -00:09:25:   [FAO]: Go.
   -00:09:24:   [Flight Director]: FIDO?
   -00:09:23:   [FIDO]: Go.
   -00:09:22:   [Flight Director]: GC?
   -00:09:21:   [GC]: Go.
   -00:09:29:   [Flight Director]: GNC?
   -00:09:19:   [GNC]: We're go.
   -00:09:18:   [Flight Director]: INCO?
   -00:09:17:   [INCO]: Go, flight.
   -00:09:16:   [Flight Director]: MMACS?
   -00:09:15:   [MMACS]: Go.
   -00:09:14:   [Flight Director]: PDRS?
   -00:09:13:   [PDRS]: Go!
   -00:09:12:   [Flight Director]: PROP?
   -00:09:11:   [PROP]: We are go, flight.
   -00:09:10:   [Flight Director]: Rendezvous?
   -00:09:09:   [RNDZ]: Go.
   -00:09:08:   [Flight Director]: TRAJ?
   -00:09:07:   [TRAJ]: Go.
   -00:09:06:   [Flight Director]: TALCOM?
   -00:09:05:   [TALCOM]: We're go over here, flight.
   -00:09:04:   [Flight Director]: Launch Control, this is Shinkyō. We are go for flight, wish the crew the best of luck.
   -00:09:02:   [DTD]: Roger that, Shinkyō. Listen up, we are go for launch. End built-in-hold.
   -00:09:00:   [DHK - Daiki Funae]: Shinkyō reports all flight controllers are go for launch, countdown is proceeding from nine minutes onwards.

   -00:02:00:   [DHK - Daiki Funae]: We are currently two minutes away from liftoff and the weather is clear. The Orbiter Access Arm retracted about five and a half minutes ago and the engines are armed. T-1 minute and fifty seconds and counting. We are hearing that the oxidizer tanks in the first and second stages have fully pressurized. We continue to build up pressure here at the last minute to have it prepared for liftoff. T- one minute, thirty-five seconds on the UHS mission, the final flight of the UHS Block I spacecraft. All indications are coming into the ground control center that we are still GO. One minute, twenty-five seconds, and the second stage is fully pressurized. The 80 second mark has now been passed. We will go on full internal power once we pass the 50-second mark in the countdown. Guidance system goes on internal at 17 seconds leading up to the ignition sequence at 8.9 seconds. We're approaching the 60 second mark on the UHS-226 mission.
   -00:01:00:   [DHK - Daiki Funae]: T-minus 60 seconds and counting. We have passed T-minus 60. 55 seconds and counting. We have passed the 50-second mark. Our transfer is complete. We're on internal power with the launch vehicle at this time.
   -00:00:40:   [DHK - Daiki Funae]: 40 seconds away from the liftoff of UHS-226. All first stage tanks are now pressurized. 35-seconds and counting, we are still go.
   -00:00:31:   [DHK - Daiki Funae]: 30 seconds and counting. Ūchunauts Akitomi, Haruno, Gusukuma, and Saejima are reportedly in good spirits. T-15 seconds, guidance is internal. 12... 11... 10...
   -00:00:10:   [DTD]: We are now go for main engine start.
   -00:00:10:   [DHK - Daiki Funae]: Go for main engine start. T- 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... All main engines are running. 2... 1... And LIFTOFF! Liftoff of Tenryū. On the shoulders of the Block I, Daitō will continue the dream of exploration future generations!

   +00:00:03:   [Akitomi]: Roger, clock is running and we have yaw.
   +00:00:10:   [Range Safety Officer]: Clear of the tower.
   +00:00:11:   [Akitomi]: Roger, tower cleared.
   +00:00:12:   [DHK - Daiki Funae]: The tower has been cleared.
   +00:00:16:   [Akitomi]: Roll program.
   +00:00:17:   [Mission Control]: Roger roll, Tenryū.
   +00:00:19:   [Akitomi]: 610 meters.
   +00:00:54:   [DHK - Daiki Funae]: Altitude is 3.2 kilometers and rising.
   +00:01:00:   [Mission Control]: Tenryū, Shinkyō, you are go at one minute.
   +00:01:02:   [Akitomi]: Roger.
   +00:01:24:   [DHK - Daiki Funae]: We are going through maximum dynamic pressure. Tenjin's main engines are throttling down to reduce strain on the vehicle.
   +00:02:01:   [Mission Control]: Tenryū, go with throttle-up.
   +00:02:03:   [Akitomi]: Roger, go with throttle-up.
   +00:02:15:   [Mission Control]: Tenryū, go for staging.
   +00:02:18:   [Akitomi]: Roger, go for staging.
   +00:02:48:   [Akitomi]: We have stage separation and the MMEs are burning.
   +00:02:53:   [DHK - Daiki Funae]: We have engine cutoff and stage separation. Tenryū's four main engines have ignition. The booster is pitching over and is preparing to glide back to the ASC. We will continue our coverage as the flight continues.
   +00:08:20:   [DHK - Daiki Funae]: We have external tank separation. Tenryū is in orbit for the last time.

(OOC Note: the latter half of the launch is skipped as there is nothing really of note to mention in it post first stage separation.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2022, 08:32:09 AM by Daitō »

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #143 on: August 04, 2022, 08:48:40 AM »

Recon Satellite offline, says IDSF


KA-11 4-3 as pictured by UHS-206, June 18, 2017

In a statement to the press, Marshal Saburō Yokomichi, chief of the Imperial Daitōjin Space Force, reported that a KA-11 KESSHŌ reconnaissance satellite went offline roughly 98 minutes after the destruction of a Rokkenjiman military satellite by a Nagareboshi Anti-Satellite Missile launched from the IRN Pride of Lydcaer on the behalf of the Rokkenjiman government. The satellite in question, KA-11 4-3, was launched in 2013 aboard a Sekidō-C rocket from Shiroi Shakyū Air Force Base (now Shiroi Shakyū Space Force Base) and has, until today, remained in service, providing valuable information on various sites. Costing roughly ¥111.68 billion mon ($1.396 billion), the satellites are a valuable asset to the Imperial Daitōjin Armed Forces, albeit an expensive one. Marshal Yokomichi had the following to say on the matter,
Quote from: Saburō Yokomichi
While we have yet to determine the cause of the satellite going offline, observers on the ground did note, as much as I hate to say it, that it appeared that the satellite had been impacted. What we have been able to determine, as of this moment, is that the satellite has been rendered inoperable, perhaps permanently, however, we are continuing efforts to at a bare minimum assess the extent of the damage done to it and if possible bring it back online."

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #144 on: August 05, 2022, 06:12:13 AM »

2022 Kita Exercises to occur in spite of CSTO withdrawal


Marines of the Imperial Daitōjin Marine Corps disembark during the 2020 Kita Exercises
Marshal Okimoto Esashi confirmed in a press conference earlier today that the planned 2022 Kita Exercises in and around Tsukishima will continue as planned in spite of the Empire's withdrawal from the Cross-Straits Treaty Organization. This comes as many question whether the exercise can continue, given the recent withdrawal from the alliance and planning for the exercises to include its members. However, Esashi-taishō clarified that their participation was always optional, however he was quick to say that the Empire of Achkaerin had agreed to participate in this year's exercise. Whether this will be the case in the years to come remains to be seen, but he appeared hopeful.

It is recommended that international traffic refrains from travelling into the waters off of the southwestern coast of Tsukishima from the 20th to the 27th of August, owing to it being designated a live fire exercise area. Likewise, civilian air traffic will be redirected to avoid these zones until the exercise comes to an end.
Foreign representatives visit Kantei
Diplomats belonging to the Allied States of Ardia, Andinist Republic of Nueva Ardia, and the Shogunate of Toshikawa arrived in the city of Shinkyō yesterday, where they were welcomed by Prime Minister Heishi and his staff. The diplomats had travelled to Daitō in order to participate in the first in a series of talks to work out a potential free trade agreement, with the possibility of further provisions being included alongside this deal. The DFD has, since 2000, sought to build ties with the various states that line the Sea of Azukishima, with these plans being delivered a vicious blow when Toshikawa invaded Nueva Ardia. As part of efforts to aid in reconciliation on the Ardian Peninsula, Deputy Prime Minister Sadazane Konishi first proposed an East Ardian Free Trade Agreement back in 2019 while he was still serving as a representative in the Imperial Diet. His cause has been taken up by the Prime Minister, who it is believed wishes to see greater unity in East Ardia and hopes that the agreement may, in cooperation with its other prospective founders, eventually encompass a vast swathe of the East Ardian region.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #145 on: August 10, 2022, 12:18:52 PM »

Imperial family makes announcement

Hisato Watase, Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency, held a press conference earlier today with regards to the Imperial family, for whom he has been charged with aiding since June 13, 2014. The steward first went through the standard array of topics, mostly relating to travel plans for the various members of the family, however, this was, by comparison to other news he had to share, unimportant. He read a statement to the press, saying "Their Majesties, the Emperor and Empress, have requested that I relay the following information to you. With great joy and hope, I announce that Her Majesty, Empress Mayumi, is pregnant with His Majesty's child. The couple has been aware of the pregnancy since last month, and the honourable Court Physician, Dr. Haruto Uchiyama, has stated that the child will be born sometime in December. The Imperial family as well as the Tachibana family are overjoyed at this announcement and are eager to welcome the new Prince or Princess. On behalf of the Imperial government, I wish to offer my sincerest hope that the mother and child enjoy good health."

Shortly following the statement being issued, crowds of citizens flocked to the gates of the Imperial Palace in Tenkyō to offer their best wishes to the couple and making offerings at shrines in the area around the palace. A similar display occurred at the palace in Shinkyō as well. Shrines and temples across the country have been reported to include prayers for the potential future heir to the throne in their repertoire, mostly those shrines backed by the Imperial family.
DNSA announces landing site on Nergal

Candor Chasma as pictured by Sky Sailor, 20 July, 2022
The DNSA has announced that, having reviewed data collected by both orbiters around Nergal as well as its recent Sky-Sailor mission, it has determined the optimal landing site for the 2024 mission to Nergal by the Sojourner spacecraft. This comes after photoreconnaissance performed by the vehicles indicated a site roughly in the center of Candor Chasma in the Valles Marineris canyon system to be optimal for a crewed landing. The DNSA also noted the potential presence of water ice just below the surface as a reason for their interest in the site, which, if present, could potentially support longer term missions to the red planet, not to mention that the soil could harbor evidence of past life on the planet. The agency also noted Melas and Coprates Chasma as potential secondary landing sites, given their unique geography and in the case of Coprates, evidence of seasonal flows along its slopes.
WEATHER --- Shinkyō Metro.: - 31.9°C --- Tenkyō Metro.: - 29.3°C --- Otsu Metro.:  - 29.3°C --- Yuzawa Metro.: - 28.9°C --- Shibetsu Metro.: - 29.1°C --- Urasoe Metro.: - 29.9°C --- Awara Metro.: - 30.3°C --- Goris Metro.: - 33.8°C ---
« Last Edit: December 03, 2022, 08:15:40 PM by Daitō »

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #146 on: August 23, 2022, 11:50:40 AM »

Ignition confirmed in a nuclear fusion experiment for the first time
A major breakthrough in nuclear fusion has been confirmed a year after it was achieved at a laboratory in Tsukishima circuit. Researchers at the Tadakatsu Ujihara Imperial Laboratory's (TUIL's) Imperial Ignition Facility (IIF) recorded the first case of ignition on August 23, 2021, the results of which have now been published in three peer-reviewed papers. But before we proceed, what is nuclear fusion? Nuclear fusion is the process that powers the Sun and other stars: heavy hydrogen atoms collide with enough force that they fuse together to form a helium atom, releasing large amounts of energy as a by-product. Once the hydrogen plasma "ignites", the fusion reaction becomes self-sustaining, with the fusions themselves producing enough power to maintain the temperature without external heating.

Ignition during a fusion reaction essentially means that the reaction itself produced enough energy to be self-sustaining, which would be necessary in the use of fusion to generate electricity. If we could harness this reaction to generate electricity, it would be one of the most efficient and least polluting sources of energy possible. No fossil fuels would be required as the only fuel would be hydrogen, and the only by-product would be helium, which we use in industry and are presently running out of. The problem with fusion energy at the moment is that we do not have the technical capabilities to harness this power. Scientists from across the world are currently working to solve these issues. In this latest milestone at TUIL recorded an energy yield of around 1.3 megajoules in just a few nanoseconds.
"The record shot was a major scientific advance in fusion research, which establishes that fusion ignition in the lab is possible at IIF," said Joji Watabe, chief scientist for TUIL's inertial confinement fusion program. "Achieving the conditions needed for ignition has been a long-standing goal for all inertial confinement fusion research and opens access to a new experimental regime where alpha-particle self-heating outstrips all the cooling mechanisms in the fusion plasma."

In the experiments performed to reach this ignition result, researchers heat and compress a central "hot spot" of deuterium-tritium (hydrogen atoms with one and two neutrons, respectively) fuel using a surrounding dense piston also made from deuterium-tritium, creating a super hot, super pressurized hydrogen plasma.
"Ignition occurs when the heating from absorption of α particles created in the fusion process overcomes the loss mechanisms in the system for a duration of time," said the authors in a paper publishing the results in the journal Butteki Fukushū E.

This landmark result comes after years of research and thousands of man hours dedicated to improving and perfecting the process: over 1,000 authors are included in the Butteki Fukushū Moji paper. Despite repeated attempts having not been able to achieve the same energy yield as the August 2021 experiment, all of them reached higher energies than previous experiments. Data from these follow-ups will aid the researchers to further streamline the fusion process and further explore nuclear fusion as a real option for electricity generation in the future.
"It is extremely exciting to have an 'existence proof' of ignition in the lab," Watabe said. "We're operating in a regime that no researchers have accessed since the end of nuclear testing, and it's an incredible opportunity to expand our knowledge as we continue to make progress."
OOC Note: Actual papers regarding this achievement are provided below:
Lawson Criterion for Ignition Exceeded in an Inertial Fusion Experiment
Experimental achievement and signatures of ignition at the National Ignition Facility
Design of an inertial fusion experiment exceeding the Lawson criterion for ignition

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #147 on: August 29, 2022, 01:58:35 AM »

Special: Kurashiki Danjiri Festival
It's a tradition which shows no signs of slowing down. The Kurashiki Danjiri festival brings thrills to the city of Kurashiki each year with its high-energy race of shrines through its many streets and spectacular—albeit dangerous—performances atop them. Dating back more than three-hundred years, the festival began when the daimyō of Kurashiki, Iwasaki Yorifusa, prayed to the Kami for an abundant harvest at Ukyō Inari-taisha in Tenkyō. Divided into two separate festivals, the first and most famous is held on the last Saturday and Sunday of August, while the second, held in October, is less famous but includes more Danjiri shrines. The August festival is again separated into two. Again, the more famous is the Kurashiki Danjiri centering on the castle and runs from the Nankai line down to the shore of the Mutsu inland sea. The other Danjiri festival occurs in the town of Nishi and centers around Nankai Nishi Station. For more on the festival, we join Fusako Arishima, who had the opportunity to spend time in the city for the festival.

   "It is 4:50 AM and Kurashiki, Kawachi is coming to life. This ornate wooden float, or danjiri, will soon join other neighborhood teams blazing around the city streets." She said about the float itself before getting the chance to interview someone who would be onboard during the parade, who, when asked if he got scared going around corners at high speed, said that he actually found it exciting more than anything. She also got to interview the Sujikaicho team's leader, Atsuo Fujibayashi, who expects his team to run a blistering pace.
   "I think we'll be running faster than usual. Counting children and women, we'll have about 200 people pulling the danjiri." Fujibayashi-san said. "Of course, it's not really about making it first, rather, it's to show our devotion through this great struggle."

5:30 AM, tension is slowly building in the streets of Kurashiki. Men make the final preparations for their danjiri ahead of the festival. As the voices of revelers grow louder, the signal is given, and the festival is kicked off. Various courses snake through the city's streets. Men balance and dance atop the portable shrines, giving instructions to their teams in a highly ritualized fashion, often at great personal risk as seen with many accidents over the decades. Twenty-two teams run at high speed, one after another along the route. As they make their way along, the Sujikacho team prepares for its first "yarimawashi", which means cornering at high speeds in what is considered by many to be a highlight of the festival. The team speeds into and successfully navigates the corner as the crowd erupts in elation.

Behind the scenes, another tradition is underway. From early morning, women are hard at work preparing for an influx of hungry runners. Locals often eat crab during the festival, owing to it being commonly caught in the area. Of course, another staple of the event is beer. The festival keeps the women going full-steam, as preparing food takes up the entire day.
   "We watch the festival on TV, mostly to keep track of where everyone is and how much time we have left." One of the cooks said during an interview. "Right now, we've got about twenty minutes to clean this up and prepare the next meal."

Come afternoon, the crowd swells and the energy of the festival rises. More than three-hundred thousand festivalgoers flock to the event annually, while many more in the region often watch local broadcasts of it. The teams parade their floats in front of the train station, where celebration ensues. Then, when that is done, it is back to running, which continues until six in the evening. Now more than three centuries after this tradition began, it has remained a hallmark of the region, and like a danjiri at full speed, it is still going strong. For DHK, this is Tatsuo Watai, signing off.

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #148 on: September 15, 2022, 07:10:31 PM »

Naval buildup marks shift in policy

IDN Taihō under construction in Kyure, c.2021

He represents a change in priorities for the Empire. The IDN Taihō (KB(G)-6), the lead ship of the eponymous class, has long been hailed as a new start for the Imperial Daitōjin Navy since it was first proposed in 2012. First laid down in 2018, it was caught in the aftermath of the 2019 recession, sparking delays as a result of budget cuts. Following this, it resumed construction in 2021, with it now nearing completion and being expected to launch in December 2022, but no later than February 2023. At present joined by its sister ships, Hōshō (KB(G)-7) and Zuihō (KB(G)-8), which are in varying degrees of construction, funds have been allocated to explore a further two ships. When the ship is complete, it will be the largest ship operated by the Imperial Daitōjin Navy in its entire history, as well as its most powerful. It is, in effect, the poster child of what is being called the "New Imperial Armed Forces", overshadowing other vessels and equipment in what is shaping up to be one of the largest acquisitions of equipment in the Empire's long history, rivalled only perhaps by that which was seen during the Keiyo Restoration in the late 1860s and early 1870s. Indeed, many have noted the existence of plans to construct a new class of Amphibious Assault Ship, alongside a number of other projects currently in various stages of development.

Some have questioned why the Empire needs this expansion, after all, the country's navy is already top-notch, as are its Air Force and Army. However, others have pointed out that such an expansion would both provide the means for greater power projection for the state and of course assist in the country's defense. Furthermore, many experts have said that the Empire ought to take a more active role in securing major trade routes and ensuring peace on the high seas going forwards. This marks a substantial shift from previous military and foreign policy which focused entirely upon the protection of the homeland, reflecting the growing international focus of the Heishi Premiership.
« Last Edit: October 20, 2022, 09:02:02 PM by Daitō »

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Re: Imperial News Service (Daitō)
« Reply #149 on: September 17, 2022, 02:07:05 AM »

Could New Materials Change the Shape of Stealth Aircraft?

Pair of Aizawa-Shinoda J11As "Kotsu"s  over Takehara Prefecture. Photo Credit: Akihisa Tachizaki, 11 June 2018

While often thought of as little more than a sort of "stealth paint", radar absorbing materials are essential to the operation of any stealth aircraft, but they also account for a large percent of the operating costs associated with fifth generation fighters. Furthermore, the physical limitations of these materials often then become the physical limitations of the aircraft they treat, stifling the performance of the world's most advanced fighters in the air while simultaneously limiting fleet size and readiness rates on the ground. However, that may not be the case for much longer. A new kind of ceramic-based radar absorbing materials could not only drastically reduce the limitations these materials place on low-observable aircraft, they could quite seriously launch stealth into a new era of aviation, paving the way for stealth to be seen on future hypersonic aircraft. In the short term, this material could dramatically reduce the costs of operating existing stealth fighters and even allow for the development of lower-cost stealth platforms with similar performance to today's high-end jets. In the somewhat longer term, it could allow Daitō's next-generation of stealth fighters to be faster, more aerobatic, and stealthier than anything that has ever taken to the skies.

In order to understand the value of this Ceramic-based RAM, one needs to understand what RAM is in the first place. Modern stealth aircraft leverage radar-reflecting designs, meant to deflect electromagnetic waves away from them rather than directly back at the receiver. In spite of this, these designs alone are not enough to make a modern fighter really stealth. They are also covered in layers of radar-absorbing materials, or RAM, which reduces their radar returns. In more technical terms, Radar-absorbing coatings are a special class of polymer-based materials that absorb electromagnetic energy; Put simply, this advanced—and often troublesome—material practically eats radar for lunch. This is exceptionally important, as even with advanced stealth designs mean to deflect radar waves, the leading edge of an aircraft's wings, its jet inlets, parts of its vertical tail surfaces, and other elements of a fighter tend to produce radar returns. These facets of a fighter's shape are essential for aerobatic performance, at the very least for now, and as a result, modern stealth aircraft will often see a radar-absorbent edge treatment over all of these portions of the aircraft. Such materials are often incorporated into a honeycomb lattice or a similar structure that are placed inside the jet's intake for the same reason. A jet's intake compressor-fan produces a large radar return. The radar-absorbent materials used by modern Daitōjin fighters today is important, being rated to absorb upwards of 70-80% of inbound electromagnetic energy, but is also very expensive and time-consuming to maintain, and as a result, this is a major part of the large expense associated with operating the J11As or the A9As, for that matter. This creates real financial limitations on stealth aviation. Per a quote from a member of a maintenance squadron,
Quote from: SGM. Yoritaka Tanioka, 39th Maintenance Squadron
Maintaining the radar-absorbent coating on the surface of the A9As is a job that takes very detail-oriented, sometimes tedious work — masking every small area, properly mixing chemicals, applying them precisely, smoothing, and assessing the smallest imperfections. It's time-consuming, but it's vital to get it right."

There is indeed a reason that most stealth aircraft fleets do not extend into the triple digits. Put simply, it is too expensive for most countries. The reason for that expense, however, is not as transparent, after all, these days, it is far cheaper to buy an A9As Type 68 for less than a modernized A8As or Rokkenjiman RK-74. It would appear that it hasn't been cheaper to fly into the stealth era, however, the truth simply is that acquisition isn't the largest financial hurdle for an aspiring stealth-based air force. Rather, sustainment is. Per the Ministry of War, the intention is to buy nearly 1050 A9As's by the time the program ends, representing a stunning $200 billion, which, while a significant expenditure, still pales in comparison to the price of operating the aircraft throughout the extent of its service life is expected to cost nearly three times as much. Per the accounting office, it is projected that A9As sustainment will top $989 billion by the time it is retired. In 2020 alone, it cost about $7.8 million a year to operate each A9As Type 68 that any nation would have in a hangar, with higher figures associated with the more specialized Type 72 and 76 variants. A sizeable portion of that annual expense came down to repairing, maintaining, or replacing the radar-absorbing materials that coat these aircraft, and as a result, the Ministry has noted that unless the sustainment costs of the aircraft can be brought down, it will have to limit its purchases of these fighters.

Now that you have been provided a sense of how expensive radar-absorbing materials can be, as well as what a pain they are to maintain, we can begin to talk about how they actually limit the physical performance of stealth aircraft. Today's polymer-based RAM may be good at absorbing electromagnetic energy, but it is not particularly good at surviving the rigors of combat aviation. Today's RAM begins to break down at temperatures in excess of 250°C. This becomes a major problem for tactical jets that travel at supersonic speeds, where the combination of friction and air pressure on the leading edge of the wings and in portions of the tail can often exceed the temperature limits of RAM. It's also a problem for body panels located at the rear of the aircraft, near to the jet's exhaust. As a result, stealth fighters are designed in such a way as to mitigate friction on these leading edges, which can compromise their aerobatic performance to an extent. To make matters even worse, these accommodations for RAM aren't always effective. Back in 2011, the A9As Type 72, which is the Short Takeoff Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant and the A9As Type 76 variant, which is designed for carrier duty, were subjected to flutter tests. A flutter test is a test of an aircraft's structural behavior under aerodynamic loads. These aircraft are rated for a top speed of Mach 2.24, but they were tested at slightly lower and more realistic speeds. The results were nonetheless troubling. After sustained flight at Mach 1.8, the Type 72 showed "bubbling and blistering" of the RAM applied to both sides of the jet's horizontal tail surfaces and boom. The Type 76 fared even worse, with, quote, "thermal damage" that actually compromised the structural integrity of the tail surfaces found after sustained flight at Mach 1.76. As a result, both of these aircraft are now limited to speeds of Mach 1.6 or lower, and their only able to sustain such speeds for less than a minute before the risk of damage to the aircraft becomes too severe to to be permitted under anything other than emergency circumstances. It should be noted that Aizawa-Shinoda has reportedly improved the durability of the radar absorbent materials used in the A9As and later deliveries of these aircraft, meaning that it may not be as big of an issue today as it was before, however, there is no word on the speed restrictions being lifted, likely remaining classified, however, it may still be a real problem. Even with improved durability, it is quite possibly still a real problem just because of the limits of these polymer-based materials. However, this is by no means a problem unique to the A9As in any way. In fact, if anything, the A9As is probably less susceptible to these problems than other stealth fighters. Not only does the A9As take a different approach to applying these materials, it is also built with extensive use of radar-absorbing polymer materials in the aircraft's composite structure itself. Aircraft built with less advanced materials utilized in their construction, older jets such as the J11As, or foreign ones such as like the Su-57, are just as susceptible to issues with RAM, or in some cases, the use of radar absorbent materials may be omitted from high-friction areas on an aircraft, which would reduce maintenance requirements and operating costs at the expense of observability.

For those who are interested in the development hypersonic aircraft, this means that radar absorbing materials, which are all but required for for any stealth aircraft, are a no-go for hypersonic applications. After all, an aircraft travelling at Mach 5, the lower end of the hypersonic realm, regularly sees temperatures as high as 982°C on the fuselage. After all, if today's polymer-based RAM starts to break down at speeds as low as Mach 1.6, which was designed to be covered in RAM and fly at supersonic speeds, you would quickly come to realize that the physical limits of this material creates very real physical limits not only on today's aircraft, but on what we can design the next generation of stealth aircraft to do as well. But there are still more big problems with today's polymer-based RAM. It is very sensitive to exposure to moisture and salt, which is a problem for the A9As Type 72 and 76, both of which often operate from ships, and it is also sensitive to abrasive materials like sand, a fairly common facet of modern warfare.

But what is the solution? Efforts are underway to develop a new ceramic-based RAM-coating that can sustain much higher temperatures and withstand significant environmental abuse. This new form of RAM is so promising that it could not only resolve the issues inherent to the material on existing stealth fighters, but could also allow for the design of faster, more aerobatic stealth aircraft than ever before. It could even benefit hypersonic applications, like the often rumored Aizawa-Shinoda "Kurai hoshi", or whatever platform ultimately emerges from the Air Force's combined-cycle scramjet program. Back in 2020, a research team out of Keiyo University in Shinkyō led by one Harumi Gōda announced the development of this new ceramic-based radar absorbing material, and they immediately posited that it could be used for tactical fighter applications. According to their findings, this new RAM is actually more effective at absorbing electromagnetic energy. While today's RAM is rated to absorb around 70-80% of inbound radar waves, this ceramic RAM, or C-RAM, could absorb up to 90%. Perhaps even more importantly, its also harder than sand and extremely resilient to both moisture and high temperatures. As mentioned before, today's RAM begins to break down at around 250°C, but this ceramic-based material can withstand temperatures as high as 1,760°C, which is more than enough to sustain not only supersonic speeds, but hypersonic speeds in excess of Mach 6. Per Dr. Harumi Gōda,
Quote from: Dr. Harumi Gōda, Keiyo University
Fundamentally, there aren't any concerns with this material's performance or durability. So, there are no longer any constraints on how the aircraft could be designed."

Applying this new ceramic-based RAM is also a pretty simple process, at least when compared to applying today's polymer-based RAM materials. A liquid ceramic precursor is sprayed onto the aircraft and then just left exposed to the ambient air. Over the span of around two days, the liquid hardens into a solid ceramic material. Two days is about the same as the cure time on today's polymer-based RAM, but because the C-RAM is so durable, you could apply it way less often, which would mean a significant drop in maintenance requirements, costs, and downtime while simultaneously increasing readiness rates. Dr. Gōda and her team's work has been substantiated by a number of other peer-reviewed papers, with the concept being deemed very promising. So promising, in fact, that Gōda's team secured funding from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to continue the development of this invention for use in advanced stealth applications. What this means is that ceramic RAM could emerge as one of the more potent stealth improvements that we will see on Daitō's next generation of stealth aircraft, slated to enter service by the 2030s. It is also possible that we could see this material added to existing stealth aircraft such as the A9As to not only unlock its full performance potential, but also reduce its operating costs, making it more a feasible aircraft for a broader variety of mission sets, as well as potentially being used on 4th generation aircraft to improve their survivability. Of course, this is but one variable among many, but even so, the fact that essentially a thick layer of ceramic paint could have such huge reverberating effects in military aviation for decades to come is nonetheless significant. In a real way, Ceramic RAM may unlock the future of military stealth aviation.