Hideo Itokawa

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Hideo Itokawa (糸川英夫, July 20, 1912 – February 21, 1999) was a pioneer of Japanese rocketry and of the Japanese space program. In Japan, he was popularly known as Dr. Rocket, and he has been described in the media as the father of Japanese space development.

The asteroid 25143 Itokawa, named in honor of Itokawa, is notable as the target of the Hayabusa mission.

Born in Tokyo, he graduated from the Imperial University of Tokyo in 1935, having majored in aeronautical engineering. During World War II, he was involved in designing aircraft at the Nakajima Aircraft Company and designed the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa.

In 1941, he became an assistant professor of the Imperial University of Tokyo, and became a professor in 1948. He retired from his post in 1967 and established an institute.

Itokawa was a genius who skipped grades in school and studied many topics. He wrote 49 books, and was, many times, a best-selling author.

Topics that Itokawa became interested in or took as a hobby, include such sports as basketball, golf and swimming, as well as orchestral arrangements and such instruments as cello, harmonica, organ, piano, violin and taishokin (a type of xylophone). He was also interested in baton twirling, brain waves, English plays, Mah Jong, philosophy, rocket engineering and novel writing.