Japan sends Hello Kitty into space

[yuiyoshida]

By Minami Funakoshi

National Aug. 15, 2014 - 06:47AM JST ( 16 )

TOKYO —

Hello Kitty, Japan’s ambassador of cute, is on a government-funded mission to space.

The project to launch Sanrio Co Ltd’s white cat with a pink bow into orbit is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push to promote Japan’s high-tech industry and engineer economic growth.

A 4-cm-tall Hello Kitty figure is aboard the Hodoyoshi-3 satellite, looking through a window at Earth, Sanrio announced this week.

The satellite, which is about the size of a large rubbish bin, was developed by Japanese researchers as part of a 4 billion yen program funded by the education and science ministry.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-sends-hello-kitty-into-space

[intaglio]

1. You realise she will be the face of Skynet??!? n/t

[shenmue]

2. Does Hello Kitty have a boyfriend? A job?

What does she do when she's not saying hello to people?

[yuiyoshida]

3. Everything you ever wanted to know about "Harokiti"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_Kitty

[shenmue]

4. Thank you

That helps.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. I don't get Hello Kitty

does not compute