Japanese engineer regarded as the father of Japanese rocketry. He led the University of Tokyo team that launched the tiny 23-centimeter Pencil rocket in 1955, the starting point of Japan's postwar space program, and went on to direct larger solid-fuel rocket development that eventually produced Japan's early satellite launch vehicles. The asteroid 25143 Itokawa, visited by the Hayabusa spacecraft, is named for him.
Facts
Defining ContributionFather of Japanese rocketry, leading development of the Pencil rocket and the solid-fuel rocket programs that followed it 1 Notable WorkPencil rocket (1955); namesake of asteroid 25143 Itokawa 1 Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
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