The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is Japan’s national space agency, responsible for space exploration, satellite development, and scientific research in space and aeronautics. Established in 2003 through the merger of three previously existing organizations, JAXA has become a leading player in both regional and international space activities. Its goals include advancing space technology, contributing to scientific knowledge, and fostering international cooperation in space exploration.
Key Functions and Responsibilities
Space Exploration: JAXA conducts robotic exploration missions to asteroids, the Moon, and beyond. It plays a critical role in contributing to humanity’s understanding of space and planetary bodies, focusing on sample return missions, lunar exploration, and future Mars missions.
Satellite Development and Launches: JAXA develops and operates a wide array of Earth observation, communications, and scientific satellites. It provides launch services using its own family of rockets to deploy both Japanese and international payloads.
International Collaboration: JAXA works closely with other major space agencies like NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), Roscosmos, and CNSA (China National Space Administration). It participates in human spaceflight programs and joint scientific missions.
Aeronautics Research: JAXA is also heavily involved in aeronautics, focusing on advancing aircraft design, safety, fuel efficiency, and environmental sustainability.
Key Missions and Achievements
JAXA has had significant achievements in asteroid exploration, Earth observation, space science, and international collaboration. With its focus on cutting-edge technologies, ambitious space exploration missions, and strong partnerships with international space agencies, JAXA is well-positioned to continue making major contributions to humanity’s understanding of the universe and space exploration in the years to come.
These are JAXA’s missions:
Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 (Asteroid Missions)
- Hayabusa (2003-2010): JAXA’s Hayabusa mission was the world’s first successful mission to return samples from an asteroid. Launched in 2003, Hayabusa visited the asteroid Itokawa and returned a sample to Earth in 2010, overcoming multiple technical difficulties during its journey.
- Hayabusa2 (2014-2020): Building on the success of its predecessor, Hayabusa2 was launched in 2014 and traveled to the asteroid Ryugu. It returned samples to Earth in 2020, providing scientists with valuable data about the early solar system. The mission included advanced techniques like deploying small landers and firing a projectile to expose subsurface material.
Kibo Module (International Space Station - ISS)
JAXA is a key partner in the International Space Station (ISS) program, contributing the Kibo laboratory module, which was launched in 2008. Kibo is Japan’s largest human space facility and serves as a platform for a variety of scientific experiments in microgravity, including life sciences, materials science, and Earth observation.
Akatsuki (Venus Climate Orbiter)
Akatsuki was launched in 2010 to study the atmosphere of Venus. After initially failing to enter orbit around Venus, JAXA successfully executed a second attempt five years later, in 2015. Since then, Akatsuki has been studying Venus’ cloud layers, weather patterns, and surface, contributing to a better understanding of the planet’s extreme climate conditions.
Though Akatsuki’s mission was initially planned to last for a couple of years, the spacecraft has enough fuel and power reserves to continue functioning for several more (provided no critical systems fail). As of 2024, it stands as a testament to the ingenuity and perseverance of space exploration.
SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon)
SLIM is JAXA’s planned lunar lander, designed for precise Moon landings. Set to launch in the coming years, SLIM will demonstrate the technology needed to land with high accuracy, paving the way for future lunar missions and exploration.
One of the major engineering challenges in developing SLIM was creating a highly reliable navigation system that could autonomously adjust the landing site based on real-time imaging. This technology could eventually be applied to landing on Mars, asteroids, or moons of other planets, where accurate landing capabilities are even more crucial due to the challenges of remote terrain.
MMX (Martian Moons eXploration)
MMX is an ambitious mission aimed at Phobos and Deimos, the two moons of Mars. Scheduled for launch in 2024, MMX will collect samples from Phobos and return them to Earth, contributing to our understanding of Mars’ formation and its moons.
Other Joint Projects
JAXA collaborates with NASA on the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, which provides data on rainfall and snowfall patterns across the globe, improving weather forecasts and climate models. JAXA also operates the GOSAT series of satellites, which measure greenhouse gas levels and contribute to climate change monitoring.
Another joint mission with NASA, XRISM, aims to study high-energy X-ray emissions from cosmic sources, including black holes, neutron stars, and galaxy clusters. It is set to be a successor to JAXA’s Hitomi mission, which was lost shortly after launch in 2016.
JAXA’s HTV, also known as Kounotori, is an unmanned spacecraft used to deliver cargo to the ISS. Since 2009, it has successfully completed multiple resupply missions, delivering food, equipment, and scientific experiments to the space station.
JAXA's Launch Vehicles
H-IIA and H-IIB Rockets: JAXA’s H-IIA and H-IIB rockets are the primary launch vehicles for a wide range of missions, including launching satellites, space probes, and resupply missions to the ISS. These rockets have a high success rate and are a cornerstone of Japan’s launch capabilities.
Epsilon Rocket: The Epsilon rocket is a smaller, more cost-effective launcher designed for deploying lightweight payloads such as small satellites. Its simplified design allows for quicker and more economical launches, supporting Japan’s growing interest in small satellite deployments.
H3 Rocket (Under Development): JAXA is currently developing the H3 rocket, a next-generation launch vehicle designed to replace the H-IIA and H-IIB rockets. The H3 is intended to be more flexible and cost-efficient, enabling Japan to remain competitive in the global space launch market.
International Collaboration
JAXA collaborates closely with NASA on a variety of missions. Its most significant partnership is its participation in the International Space Station (ISS) program. JAXA provides vital contributions to ISS operations, including cargo resupply via the HTV spacecraft and scientific experiments in the Kibo module.
JAXA also partners with ESA (European Space Agency) and Roscosmos (Russian Federal Space Agency) on numerous scientific missions. These collaborations help JAXA contribute to planetary science, space exploration, and satellite technology development.
