- Hideo Itokawa
Hideo Itokawa (糸川英夫,
July 20 ,1912 –February 21 ,1999 ) was a pioneer of Japaneserocketry and of the Japanese space program. In Japan, he was popularly known as "Dr. Rocket", and he has been described in the media as the father of Japanese space development.The asteroid
25143 Itokawa , named in honor of Itokawa, is notable as the target of theHayabusa mission.Born in
Tokyo , he graduated from the Imperial University of Tokyo in 1935, having majored inaeronautical engineering . DuringWorld War II , he was involved in designing aircraft at theNakajima Aircraft Company and designed theNakajima Ki-43 "Hayabusa".In 1941, he became an assistant professor of the
Imperial University of Tokyo , and became a professor in 1948. He retired from his post in 1967 and established an institute.Itokawa was a genius who skipped grades in school and studied many topics. He wrote 49 books, and was, many times, a best-selling author.
Topics that Itokawa became interested in or took as a hobby, include such sports as
basketball ,golf andswimming , as well as orchestral arrangements and such instruments ascello ,harmonica , organ,piano ,violin and "taishokin" (a type ofxylophone ). He was also interested in baton twirling,brain waves , English plays ,Mah Jong ,philosophy ,rocket engineering and novel writing.Bibliography
* "Gyakuten no Hasso"
* "Hachijussai no Aria"
* "Koya wo Yuku"
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