The government structure is further complicated by the various ministries and agencies which support these organizations. The chairman of SAC is the Minister of State for Science and Technology. Until 1981 ISAS was a part of the University of Tokyo. As its name implies, the NAL conducts research with a wide range of atmospheric and space systems with an emphasis on airframe and propulsion technologies. The Space Technology Research Group is further divided into 13 subgroups covering all major space technologies.
Japan benefits from a strong interest in space activities by the giants of industry.
Moreover, these firms invest considerable private resources to conceive long-term projects which may not be realized for a decade or more. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Nippon Electric Corporation, and Toshiba Corporation all have credentials as satellite prime contractors. Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. and IHI Company Ltd. Sumitomo Heavy Industries is well known for launch vehicle support facilities, and Shimizu Corporation is leading industry in the design of long-range facilities, including outposts on the Moon and Mars. Of the record 12 billion Yen allocated to NAL during 1994, 4.5 billion Yen constituted the space budget.