What's with the Japanese ?

[toymaker]

It seems every program of theirs ends in failure :<br /><br />"Japanese/U.S. X-Ray Imaging Satellite Malfunctions<br />The Suzaku (Astro-E2) X-ray imaging telescope was dealt a major blow this week when the remainder of the liquid helium critical for its cryogenic system into space, effectively disabling the telescope’s X-ray Spectrometer (XRS), its main imaging instrument.<br />This final mishap occurred after nearly two weeks of mysterious malfunctions with the telescope’s dewar vacuum system. The malfunction caused temperature fluctuations that spread to other parts of the telescope and affected the XRS. Scientists were able to restore XRS performance each time, but on August 8, the same malfunction occurred twice and overwhelmed the dewar vacuum system. This caused a thermal short between the helium and neon tanks that resulted in the rest of the telescope’s remaining helium supply to boil off and completely vent into space.<br />The Suzaku was successfully launched on July 10 for a total cost of $150 million and was supposed to provide an unprecedented X-ray imaging of the cosmos. It performed as planned until July 29, when the first of the vacuum system malfunctions occurred.<br />Without helium cooling, the XRS can no longer function and the telescope’s main research program, the AO1 General Observer Program, can no longer proceed as planned. Suzaku still has two functioning instruments, the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) and the Hard X-ray Detector (HXD), and scientists are now working to develop a new research program centered around these two instruments. NASA grants to the program will also have to be reconsidered. A mishap investigation board is planned to investigate the cause of the malfunction and to make recommendations for future missions.’<br />-- SPA"<br /><img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" />

 

[mikejz]

Deming's TQM in action

 

[botch]

TQM? I've never heard of that before.

 

[najab]

TQM = Total Quality Management.

 

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"TQM?"</font><br /><br />Total Quality Management. <br /><br />However, to be precise -- in relation to Japan, the acronym should be TQ<b>C</b> -- Total Quality Control. <br />If you're <b>truly</b> bored -- there's more here.