page_title: JAXA
section_title: Organisation
hierarchical_section_title: JAXA / Organisation
caption_attribution_description: 日本語: H-IIAロケット13号機による月周回衛星「かぐや」(SELENE)の打ち上げEnglish: H-IIA Launch Vehicle Flight 13, launching lunar orbiter "KAGUYA" (SELENE:SELenological and ENgineering Explorer)
context_page_description: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is the Japanese national aerospace and space agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003. JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and launch of satellites into orbit, and is involved in many more advanced missions such as asteroid exploration and possible human exploration of the Moon. Its motto is One JAXA and its corporate slogan is Explore to Realize.
context_section_description: JAXA is composed of the following organisations:
  Space Technology Directorate I
  Space Technology Directorate II
  Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate
  Research and Development Directorate
  Aeronautical Technology Directorate
  Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)
  Space Exploration Innovation Hub Center
  JAXA has research centres in many locations in Japan, and some offices overseas. Its headquarters are in Chōfu, Tokyo. It also has
  Earth Observation Research Center (EORC), Tokyo
  Earth Observation Center (EOC) in Hatoyama, Saitama
  Noshiro Testing Center (NTC) in Noshiro, Akita – 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 Center (KSPC) in Kakuda, Miyagi – Leads the development of rocket engines. Works mainly with development of liquid-fuel engines.
  Sagamihara Campus (ISAS) in Sagamihara, Kanagawa – Development of experimental equipment for rockets and satellites. Also administrative buildings.
  Tanegashima Space Center in Tanegashima, Kagoshima – currently the launch site for the H-IIA and H-IIB rockets.
  Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC) in Tsukuba, Ibaraki. 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. For International Space Station operations, the Japanese Flight Control Team is located at the Space Station Integration & Promotion Center (SSIPC) in Tsukuba. SSIPC communicates regularly with ISS crewmembers via S-band audio.
  Uchinoura Space Center in Kimotsuki, Kagoshima – currently the launch site for the Epsilon rocket.
caption: Tanegashima Space Center.
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "", "Image Make": "NIKON", "Image Model": "E8800", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Capture NX 1.1.0 W", "Image DateTime": "2007:09:18 19:56:53", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "226", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1494", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "1136", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/500", "EXIF FNumber": "26/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Manual", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "50", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2007:09:14 10:31:04", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2007:09:14 10:31:04", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "31/10", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF LightSource": "Unknown", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "89", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "Uncalibrated", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "1280", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "960", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed"}