This followed a press conference here Feb. 1 where Shuichiro Yamanouchi, president of the National Space Development Agency of Japan, or NASDA, told reporters of his "deep sorrow for the tragedy" and offered his "sincere condolences to seven astronauts, their families, and the United States of America."

Japan is a partner with the United States on the international space station and several other space programs. According to press reports Tuesday, the Japanese Space Agency said that Japanese astronauts, like their counterparts in the U.S., will not be allowed to participate in shuttle missions until the vehicles can be determined safe. Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi was set to fly on NASA's next shuttle mission to the space station on March 1, which has been put on hold, wire reports said.

News of the Columbia tragedy started filtering through to Japan in the very early hours of Feb. 2, and it quickly became the nations top story.

Minister Atsuko Toyama of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, called MEXT, promised Feb. 2 that Japan would stand by the United States and continue the "closest cooperation" with NASA. MEXT oversees NASDA and other Japanese agencies involved in space research.

Japans corps of eight astronauts also related their deep grief, some about colleagues and friends lost while reaffirming their belief and commitment to manned space flight.

NASDA astronaut Chiaki Mukai, who flew aboard Columbias STS-65 microgravity science mission in 1994 and aboard Space Shuttle Discoverys STS-95 mission in 1998, sought to remind people of STS-107s great science accomplishments, calling the more than 80 experiments a "wonderful success."

"Imagining those astronauts who were working so energetically and happily until just a few hours ago and thinking about their families waiting to see their smiling faces on their return fills my heart with pain. I pray from my heart that their souls may rest in peace," she said in a Feb. 2 statement.

Astronaut Takao Doi made reference to his special memories of three Columbia astronauts whom he said were close friends. He talked of training with STS-107 Commander Rick Husband and flying T-38 jets with Mission Specialist Mike Anderson.

"He was always calm and composed, but he had a heart filled with warmth. His faith was very deep," Doi said of Anderson.

Doi, who flew as a mission specialist with Kalpana Chawla on STS-87 and performed Japans first spacewalk, called Chawla a "person overflowing with gentleness and charm."

In an interview, Space Activities commissioner Masahiro Kawasaki celebrated the values and sprit of adventure of the astronauts. He likened the U.S. space programs orbital voyages to navigators of earlier ages who committed themselves to take on the challenges and risks of exploration.

"Space exploration is something we can compare to those who dared to cross the oceans in the 16th and 17th centuries," Kawasaki said.

Kawasaki also said he personally believes in the space shuttle programs utility and technical viability. He suggested he would like to see continued investment in the shuttle fleet.

"Obviously Japan doesnt have the power to affect U.S. approval [of building a replacement orbiter]. But STS is a great vehicle program, with many proven and assured technologies, and the shuttle program has a good history of recovering from setbacks," he said.