Japanese astronauts visit factory making 'Mobile Suit Gundam' models bound for space

SHIZUOKA – Astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Norishige Kanai on Wednesday visited a factory making models of humanoid robots from the anime series "Mobile Suit Gundam" which are slated to be launched into space. The project is part of an effort by Tokyo 2020 Olympics organizers and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to boost spirits ahead of the games. In the project, a satellite carrying models of Gundam and Zaku, piloted by the main character from the series and his rival, will be launched into space. Noguchi and Kanai visited the Bandai Hobby Center, which creates molds for the models, in the city of Shizuoka. They spoke with factory staff about special materials that can withstand the conditions in space, asking questions such as what happens when radiation and ultraviolet rays hit the models.