November 27, 2009 Updated
Holiday greetings from space
-- Send a message to your loved ones through KIZUNA --
JAXA is offering a chance to send a holiday message from space again this year as it was very popular last year. You message will be transmitted through the Wideband InterNetworking engineering test and Demonstration Satellite "KIZUNA," which flies at an altitude of about 36,000 km, on December 24.We will accept your message by 5:00 p.m. on December 18 (Fri., Japan Standard Time.) You can also register through the JAXA mobile site. Why don't you send a message to a loved one from space?
November 25, 2009 Updated
Astronaut Wakata receives award from prime minister
Astronaut Koichi Wakata, the first Japanese to stay on the ISS for a prolonged period oftime, received an award from Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Nov. 25. Astronaut Wakata is the fourth astronaut to receive the prize following Astronauts Mamoru Mori, Chiaki Mukai, and Takao Doi.
November 19, 2009 Updated
HAYABUSA: Resumption of return cruise by combining two ion engines
On November 4, JAXA found that one of the main ion engines aboard the Asteroid Explorer "HAYABUSA" had autonomously stopped during the second propulsion period in its return cruise back to the Earth. As a result of studying the measures to cope with this situation, JAXA confirmed that we can gain thrust power that is equivalent to that of one engine by combining the neutralizer of the Thruster A and the ion source of the Thruster B.We believe that the HAYABUSA will be able to maintain its current return schedule to the earth around June 2010 as long as we can sustain the current conditions and sequence of operation. We will attentively monitor its return trip.
November 18, 2009 Updated
Selection of Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide as a Member of the ISS Expedition Crew
Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide was selected as a crew member of Expedition 32/33 to stay on the International Space Station (ISS) for a prolonged period. Astronaut Hoshide installed the Pressurized Module of the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” onto the International Space Station in June 2008.Astronaut Hoshide is scheduled to go to the ISS on the Soyuz spacecraft in the early summer of 2012 and stay there for about six months. He will engage in space activities mainly for space environment utilization, including scientific experiments coordinated by Japanese scientists and international partners at the ISS.
JAXA is currently planning several exciting missions for JAXA astronauts. These include Astronaut Soichi Noguchi's scheduled stay on the ISS from the end of this year, Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki's trip to space on a Space Shuttle in the spring of next year, Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa's long-stay on the ISS in 2011, and Astronaut Hoshide's expedition at a future date.
November 2, 2009 Updated
HTV re-entered the atmosphere, mission completed
The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Demonstration Flight, which departed from the International Space Station (ISS) on October 31, re-entered the atmosphere at around 6:26 a.m. on November 2.The HTV successfully completed its cargo transportation operations to the ISS, and accomplished all its missions in about 52 days following the re-entry today.