Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Overview:
| JAXA Established: | 1st October 2003. |
| JAXA Headquarters: | Chofu, Tokyo, Japan. |
| Motto: | One JAXA. |
| Corporate Slogan: | Explore to Realize. |
| Organization Type: | National space agency of Japan. |
| Primary Spaceport: | Tanegashima Space Centre. |
What is JAXA?
JAXA stands for Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. JAXA is a national space agency of Japan and is responsible for research, technology development and launch of satellites into orbit, and also involved in missions such as asteroid exploration and human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Establishment of JAXA:
JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003 through the merger of three institutions, the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL) and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA).
The Basic Space Law was passed in 2008, and the jurisdictional authority of JAXA moved from MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) to the Strategic Headquarters for Space Development (SHSD) in the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister of Japan.
In 2012, new legislation extended JAXA's remit from peaceful purposes only to include some military space development, such as missile early warning systems.
Objectives of JAXA:
The main objectives of JAXA are to conduct space, aviation and planetary research, testing, and development.
Headquarters of JAXA:
The headquarters of JAXA is situated in Chofu, Tokyo, Japan.
Motto of JAXA:
Its motto is "One JAXA" and the corporate slogan is "Explore to Realize", which reflects its management philosophy of utilizing space and sky to achieve a safe and affluent society.
Primary Spaceport:
The Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) is the largest rocket-launch complex in Japan located on the southeast coast of Tanegashima, an island approximately 40 kilometres south of Kyushu. It was established in 1969 when the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) was formed and is now run by JAXA. The activities at TNSC include assembly, testing, launching, and tracking satellites.