Japanese astronaut to throw boomerang in space



by Staff Writers



Tokyo (AFP) Jan 23, 2008



A Japanese astronaut plans to throw a boomerang inside a space station to test how it can fly in zero gravity, an official said Wednesday.

Astronaut Takao Doi, 53, is set to travel on a US shuttle in March to the International Space Station, where he will be in charge of construction of a Japanese scientific testing room.

It is believed gravity is needed for a boomerang to fly back to the throwing spot, but no one has tried in zero gravity.

"Mr. Doi said he will personally carry a paper boomerang for the upcoming mission and we presume he will try it when he has spare time," said an official of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Doi reportedly decided on boomerang tests after he received a request from Yasuhiro Togai, a world boomerang champion from the western Japanese metropolis of Osaka.

Doi later underwent training from the world champion on how to throw it, media reports said.