The Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) is Japan's aerospace agency. JAXA was formed October 1, 2003 by the merger of the National Space Development Agency (NASDA), the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL) and the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science (ISAS).

Japan's first mission under the JAXA, a H-2A rocket launch in November 2003, ended in failure. After a 15 month hiatus, in February 2005, the JAXA performed a successful launch of a H-2A rocket from Tanegashima Space Center, placing a satellite into orbit. Following a shift away from international efforts in 2005, the JAXA plans to perform its own space missions, including a proposed manned mission to the moon.

General information

ISAS was responsible for space and planetary research

NAL was focused on aviation research.

NASDA was founded on October 1, 1969. Its headquarters was the Tanegashima Space Center, located on Tanegashima Island, 115 kilometers south of Kyushu. It developed rocket launchers satellites and the Japanese contribution to the International Space Station.

Research Centers and Offices

JAXA has research centers in many locations in Japan, and some offices overseas.

• Headquarters Office - Chofu-city, Tokyo
• Noshiro Testing Center (NTC) - Established in 1962. It carries out development and testing of rocket engines.
• Sanriku Balloon Center (SBC) - Balloons launched from this site since 1971.
• Kakuda Space Propulsion Center (KSPC) - Leads the development of rocket engines. Works mainly with development of liquid fuel engines.
• Sagamihara Campus - Development of experimental equipment for rockets and satellites. Also administrative buildings.
• Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC) - The center of Japan's space network. Involved in research and development of satellites and rockets, and tracking and controlling of satellites. Develops experimental equipment for the Japanese Experiment Module ("Kibo"). Training of astronauts also takes place here.

External links

• JAXA
• NASDA
• ISAS
• NAL