Japan's space agency apologizes for researchers falsifying experiment data

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced yesterday that a researcher falsified experimental data. The person in charge of the research team involved was on the International Space Station Work. Hiroshi Sasaki, director of JAXA Agency, apologized for the data fraud incident at a press conference on the 25th.

The team conducted an experiment from 2016 to 2017 to evaluate the psychological stress of 8 adults in a simulated space living environment. The data appear to have been evaluated by other researchers.

JAXA later found that there was a problem with this set of experimental data, launched an investigation in November 2017, and terminated the experimental project two years later. The two researchers involved explained that it was mainly because they were "too busy" to fully devote themselves to the experiment.

The team involved was led by Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa. Although Furukawa should bear some responsibility for the data falsification and accept the corresponding punishment, JAXA said that he will still go to the International Space Station again next year as planned.

Satoshi Furukawa is 58 years old. He worked and lived on the International Space Station for 165 days in 2011. He is the third Japanese astronaut stationed on the International Space Station.

Gu Chuan is the person in charge of the implementation of the entire project, and the expert who is directly related to the problem is the psychological interview. Hiroshi Sasaki pointed out that Furukawa has the responsibility of management supervision. JAXA stated that it will be properly handled in accordance with the procedures in the future.

Sasaki apologized and said,

Irregular data management and loose management of research will not only damage the reliability of research data but also damage the scientific value of the entire research's lack of knowledge and experience. A missed opportunity to strive for self-discipline improvement.