The sounding rocket S-520-14 was launched from Andoya Rocket Range, Norway at 03:28:39UT on February 12, 1991 in order to investigate the wave-particle interaction and the optical processes in a morning-side pulsating aurora. Scientific instruments onboard the rocket made a comprehensive in-situ measurement of a pulsating aurora; electron density, temperature. ELF-HF plasma waves, auroral electrons, X-rays and optical emissions, collaborated with ground-based observations at Andoya. This paper describes an outline of the rocket observation and several scientific topics on a pulsating aurora which have been revealed from this experiment.

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We have studied on the ability of living organisms to survive under extraterrestrial condition. Several species of terrestrial microorganism, i.e., virus, bacteria, yeast and fungi have been tested in our work. The subject is not restricted to an academic curiosity, but concerns problems to prevent the contamination of outer planets with terrestrial microorganisms carried by spaceprobes. The interplanetary environment in solar system was simulated with a wide range of temperature (100K-500K), high vacuum (1xl0^-8 torr) by using a cryostat, and proton irradiation from a Van de Graaff accelerator in Tokyo Institute of Technology. After the exposure to a simulated extraterrestrial circumstance, some species of the microorganisms were examined. Tobacco mosaic virus, some species of coccus and spores of Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus niger and Clostridium mangenoti showed considerably high survival rates even after proton irradiation.

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This paper presents on-going development of a free flying space telerobot for ground experiments. A developed model is now operable in free flying and manipulating on a 2-dimensional flat test bed with air bearing system. As designing the telerobot, we chose a reference task. We simulated some decomposed sub tasks extracted from the reference task, and employed confirmed methods. The computer simulation and the experimental results are also presented. Navigation, guidance and control system works well in path planning and position control with using an external sensor. A proposed method for the cooperative control between the robot body's attitude control and the manipulator position control shows sufficient performances. The manipulator force control methods such as the impedance control and the active limp are very effective while capturing and handling a floating object in micro gravity field.

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A clean energy launch system using laser propulsion is studied. The concept essentially provides an air-breathing vehicle of which propellant is the atmospheric constituents. The vehicle receives the laser radiation energy from the ground station and finally becomes a 1 ton orbiter in a 500 km LEO (Low Earth Orbit). The technological problems are surveyed and most of them are found within the state-of-the-art of space engineering.

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