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The Japanese designed and built Orex instrumentation capsule. Japan Aerospace xploration Agency Artwork showing the Japanese Orex instrumentation capsule undergoing re-entry. Japan Aerospa sloration Agency Orex instrumentation capsule showing internal details. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency supersonic speed, a parachute was deploy with the vehicle making a_ splash-doy approximately 279 miles (450km) south Christmas Island. The mission lasted t hours and thirteen minutes from launch ani was also the first test flight of the technic: advanced H-11 launch vehicle The aim of this experiment was to demc strate key technologies, which included autonomous de-orbiting capability and th supersonic speed, a parachute was deployed with the vehicle making a splash-down approximately 279 miles (450km) south of Christmas Island. The mission lasted two hours and thirteen minutes from launch and it was also the first test flight of the technically advanced H-11 launch vehicle. The aim of this experiment was to demon- strate key technologies, which included an autonomous de-orbiting capability and ther- mal protection materials for use with later projects. The heat shield was formed from a carbon-carbon composite material at the centre and ringed by hardened ceramic tiles with the ability to resist 2,552° Fahrenheit (1,400° Celsius). These materials were bonded to a honeycomb aluminium alloy skin. Further useful data was gathered by monitoring the aerothermodynamic effects of ionised gas flowing around the vehicle. Japan had hoped to use this research project as the first stage in an ambitious spaceplane development programme but a series of fail- ures plagued the agency for the remainder of the 20th century. 132 Orex instrumentation capsule showing internal details. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Flying Saucer Aircraft