The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is Japan’s national agency dealing with space exploration through research and technological advancements. On 1st October 2003, it was formed through the merging of three organizations that included: the Institution of Space and Astronautical Science, the National Space Development Agency of Japan and National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan. It was created to act as an independent core performance agency that was fashioned to further the Japanese government’s aerospace development. Some of its core operations include the development of technology, launching satellites into orbit and research. It is also participating in advanced missions to space that includes exploration of asteroids, the moon, and other planets. In commemoration of its 10th anniversary, JAXA created its cooperate slogan “Explore to Realize.” It was created to commensurate JAXA’s philosophy of utilizing space and sky to achieve an affluent and safe society. The three organizations that formed JAXA were each involved in different fields before merging into one. The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) carried out planetary and space research, the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) engaged in aviation research and the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) engineered rockets and satellites. NASDA built the Japanese Experiment Module and also participated in the training of Japanese astronauts who have flown with their United States counterparts (Harvey, 2000).
In its founding, JAXA was governed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in conjunction with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication. However in 2012 provisions through legislation extended its mandate to incorporate space development for military use e.g. tracking of missiles. During this period there was a shift in the political control of JAXA that saw it change hands from the ministries to the Prime Minister’s cabinet office under a newly created Space Strategy Office (Pekkanen, Kallender-Umezu, 2010). JAXA comprises of different compartments in its organizational structure that include directorates of Space Transportation Mission, Satellite Applications Mission1, Satellite Applications Mission2, Human Spaceflight Mission, Aerospace Research, and Development plus Institutes of Space and Astronautical Science and Aeronautical Technology. At the helm of the organization, we have the President the Senior Vice President and a team of seven vice presidents. Collectively they form the board of directors that takes care of the administrative duties. JAXA has various research centers in a different location in Japan and other offices abroad. These research centers carry out activities such as the development of rocket engines, development of satellites, control of these satellites and launching of rockets.
Japan Aerospace Program has carried out many successful ventures that began even before the merging of the three mother organizations. They, however, have not had a completely smooth run. They encountered problems with their first Japanese manufactured rocket during the 1990s which refused to launch into space during two attempts. They managed their first successful launch on 26th February 2005 after another failed attempt in November 2003. Some of the successful missions completed both before and after the merger of the three parent organizations include Akebono, Akari, OICETS, and SELENE, etc. JAXA has participated in various manned missions to space in collaboration with other space more advanced organizations like NASA (Public Affairs Department, 2015).
Bibliography
Harvey, Brian. The Japanese and Indian Space Programmes: Two Roads into Space. New York: Springer Publishing, 2000.
Public Affairs Department. JAXA Organization Aims to Lead the Way in Aerospace Technology. Japan: JAXA TODAY, 2015.
Pekkanen, Saadia, and Kallender-Umezu Paul. In Defense of Japan: From the Market to the Military in Space Policy. California: Stanford University Press, 2010.
