Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
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Image:JAXAlogo.gif The Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) is Japan's national aerospace agency. JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003 through the merger of three previously independent organizations. JAXA has already successfully placed a satellite into orbit, and is involved in many other missions such as asteroid exploration and a possible manned mission to the moon.
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History
On October 12003, three organizations were merged to form the new JAXA. Japan's Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science (or ISAS), the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL), and Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA).
Before the merger, ISAS was responsible for space and planetary research, while NAL was focused on aviation research. NASDA, which was founded on October 11969, had developed rockets, satellites, and also built the Japanese Experiment Module, which is a part of the International Space Station. The old NASDA headquarters were located at the current site of the Tanegashima Space Center, on Tanegashima Island, 115 kilometers south of Kyushu.
Rockets
JAXA uses the H-IIA (H "two" A) rocket from the former NASDA body to launch engineering test satellites, weather satellites, etc. For science missions like X-ray astronomy, JAXA uses the M-5 solid-fueled rocket from the former ISAS. Additionally, JAXA is developing together with IHI, Lockheed Martin, and Galaxy Express Corporation (GALEX), the GX rocket. The GX will be the first rocket world wide to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the propellant.
Success so far
Japan had been most successful in its space program in the field of X-ray astronomy during the 1980s and 90s. Another successful area for Japan has been Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) with the HALCA mission. Additional success was achieved with solar observation and research of the magnetosphere, among other areas. This goes for the ISAS part of JAXA. NASDA was mostly active in the field of communication satellite technology. However, since the satellite market of Japan is completely open, the first time a Japanese company won a contract for a civilian communication satellite was only in 2005. Another prime focus of the NASDA body is Earth climate observation.
Launch development and missions
Early H-IIA missions
Japan's first space mission under JAXA, an H-IIA rocket launch on November 292003, ended in failure due to stress problems. After a 15 month hiatus, JAXA performed a successful launch of an H-IIA rocket from Tanegashima Space Center, placing a satellite into orbit on February 262005.
Hayabusa mission
On May 92003, Hayabusa (meaning, Peregrine falcon), was launched from an M-5 rocket. The goal of this mission is to collect samples from an asteroid. The craft was scheduled to rendezvous in November of 2005, and return to Earth with samples from the asteroid by July of 2007. It was confirmed that the spacecraft successfully landed on the asteroid on November 202005, after some initial confusion regarding the incoming data. On November 262005, Hayabusa succeeded in making a soft contact, but it is not sure whether it gathered the samples.
Solar sail research
On August 92004, Japanese ISAS successfully deployed two prototype solar sails from a sounding rocket. A clover type sail was deployed at 122 km altitude and a fan type sail was deployed at 169 km altitude. Both sails used 7.5 micrometer thick film.
Japan tested a solar sail again as a sub payload to the Astro-F (Akari) mission on February 222006. However the solar sail did not deploy fully.
Infrared astronomy
Japans first infrared astronomy mission was the 15 cm IRTS telescope which was part of the SFU multipurpose satellite in 1995. IRTS scanned during its one month lifetime around 7% of the sky.
On February 222006 Japan launched its first full infrared astronomy satellite the ASTRO-F (Akari) with the M-5 rocket. This is the first all sky survey since the first infrared mission IRAS in 1983.
X-ray astronomy
On July 102005, JAXA launched a new x-Ray astronomy mission named ASTRO-E II (Suzaku). This launch was important for JAXA, because in the five years since the launch failure of the original ASTRO-E satellite, Japan was without an x-ray telescope. Three instruments were included in this satellite: an X-ray spectrometer (XRS), an X-ray imaging spectrometer (XIS), and a hard X-ray detector (HXD). However, the XRS was rendered inoperable due to a malfunction which caused the satellite to lose its supply of liquid helium.
OICETS and INDEX
On August 242005, JAXA launched the experimental satellites OICETS and INDEX with the Dnipro launch vehicle. OICETS mission is to test optical links with the European Space Agency (ESA) satellite ARTEMIS, who is around 40,000 km away from OICETS. The experiment was successful on December 9, when the link could be established. In March 2006 Jaxa could establish the worldwide first optical links between OICETS which is in LEO and a Japanese ground station.
INDEX is a small 70 kg satellite for testing various equipment and for a small aurora observation mission. Whole mission time is around 2 months. INDEX seems to be successful, too.
ALOS
In January 2006, JAXA successfully launched the Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS/Daichi). Communication between ALOS and the ground station in Japan will be done through the Kodama Data Relay Satellite, which was launched during 2002. This project is under intense pressure since the shorter than expected life time of the ADEOS II (Midori) Earth Observation Mission.
Multi Use Satellites
For weather observation Japan launched on February 2005 the Multi-Functional Transport Satellite 1R (MTSAT-1R). The success of this launch was critical for Japan, since the original MTSAT-1 couldn't be put into orbit because of a launch failure with the H-2 rocket in 1999. Since then Japan relied for weather forcasting on an old satellite who was already beyond his usefull life term and on american systems. On February 182006, JAXA successfully launched the Multi-Functional Transport Satellite 2 (MTSAT-2) aboard a H-IIA rocket. MTSAT-2 is the backup to the MTSAT-1R. The MTSAT-2 uses the DS-2000 satellite bus developed by Mitsubishi Electric. The DS-2000 is also used for the DRTS Kodama and the Superbird 7 communication satellite, making it the first commercial success for Japan.
As a secondary mission both the MTSAT-1R and MTSAT-2 help to direct air traffic.
Other Jaxa satellites currently in use
- DRTS (Kodama) Data Relay Satellite, since 2002. (Projected Life Span is 7 years)
- Exos-D (Akebono) Aurora Observation, since 1989.
- Micro Lab Sat 1, Small engineering mission, since 2002.
On going joint missions with NASA are the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), the Aqua Earth Observation Satellite and the Akebono Magnetotail Observation Mission.
Future missions
As JAXA shifted away from international efforts beginning in 2005, plans are developing for independent space missions, such as a proposed manned mission to the moon.
2006
Two astronomy missions are scheduled to launch by April 2006. The first is an infrared mission called Astro-F. Two additional payloads are planned to be deployed: a 1 kilogram test satellite called Cute 1.7 and a solar sail for further testing, the other will study the Sun and is called Solar-B.
Two Information Gathering Satellites (IGS) are planned for deployment during the 2006 summer launch period. Later in the year, the Engineering Test Satellite VIII (ETS-VII) will be launched to test faster mobile phone communication. However, it is unclear if the ETS-VIII will be able to deploy its huge antennas. For further testing, JAXA plans to launch a model called LDREX-2 with the Ariane 5 launch system soon.
2007
In early 2007, Japan plans to launch its third pair of IGS. The launch of the long-delayed moon mission SELENE is planned for the summer. The status of JAXA's other moon mission, Lunar-A, is still unclear.
2008 and beyond
JAXA plans to field its new H-IIB rocket in 2008.
The satellite GOSAT (Greenhouse Gas Observing SATellite) is to be launched to help scientists determine and monitor the density distribution of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The satellite is being jointly developed by JAXA and Japan's Ministry of the Environment. JAXA is building the satellite while the Ministry is in charge of the data that will be collected. Since the number of ground-based carbon dioxide observatories cannot monitor enough of the world's atmosphere and are distributed unevenly throughout the globe, the GOSAT may be able to gather more accurate data and fill in the gaps on the globe where there are no observatories on the ground. Sensors for methane and other greenhouse gasses are also being considered for the satellite, although the plans are not yet finalized. The satellite weighs approximately 1650kg and is expected to have a life span of 5 years.
Another project is the Global Precipitation Measurement/Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (GPM/DPR) which is a joint development with NASA. This mission is the successor to the highly successful TRMM mission. Jaxa will develop the radar and provide the launch vehicle. Other countries/agencies like China, India, ESA etc. will provide the subsatellites. The aim of this mission is to measure global rainfall. However because of NASA budget limitations this project was pushed back to 2012.
Also in that year, JAXA plans to launch the first satellite of the Quazi Zenith System (QZSS), a subsystem of the global positioning system (GPS). Two others are expected to follow in 2009. If successful, one satellite will be in a zenith position over Japan full time. The QZSS mission is the last scheduled major independent mission for JAXA, as no major civilian projects are funded after that. The only exception is the IGS programme which will be continued beyond 2008.
However, proposals for future missions include a new X-ray astronomy mission called NeXT, a much larger infrared telescope, SPICA, a successor to the Halca mission, VSOP-2, another moon mission, Selene-2, and a solar sail mission to Jupiter. JAXA is also in cooperation with ESA for the development of the XEUS X-Ray telescope which will be launched somewhere after 2015. A mission which is currently called Planet-C and is planned for 2010 with a probe to Venus. JAXA is also in cooperation with the ESA for the joint BepiColombo mission to Mercury.
Supersonic aircraft development
Besides the H-IIA and M-5 rockets, JAXA is also developing technology for a next-generation supersonic transport that could become the commercial replacement for the Concorde. The design goal of the project is to develop a jet that can carry 300 passengers at Mach 2. A subscale model of the jet underwent aerodynamic testing in September and October of 2005 in Australia. [1] The economic success of such a project is still unclear, and as a consequence the project has been met with limited interest from Japanese aerospace companies like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries so far.
Research centers and offices
JAXA has research centers in many locations in Japan, and some offices overseas. Its headquarters are in Chofu, Tokyo. It also has
- Earth Observation Research Center (EORC), Tokyo
- Earth Observation Center (EOC) in Hatayama
- Noshiro Testing Center (NTC) - Established in 1962. It carries out development and testing of rocket engines.
- Sanriku Balloon Center (SBC) - Balloons have been 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) in Tsukuba. This is the center of Japan's space network. It is involved in research and development of satellites and rockets, and tracking and controlling of satellites. It develops experimental equipment for the Japanese Experiment Module ("Kibo"). Training of astronauts also takes place here.
External links
- JAXA
- "JAXA 2025" Presentation
- RAND Report on Japan's Space Program, 2005
- CSIS Report on US-Japan Space Policy Cooperation, 2003
- GOSAT satellite
These three links are archived sites of the JAXA predecessor agencies:
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