New Aerospace Agency to Monitor Environment from Space

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), established in October 2003, has announced its mid-term plan through fiscal 2007. The plan will be the basis of Japan's space research and development, focusing on the monitoring of the Earth's environment to prevent global warming and manage water resources.

Fifteen satellite launches, including some ordered by the U.S., are planned by the end of fiscal 2007. The Multi-functional Transport Satellite (MTSAT), the successor of the meteorological satellite "Himawari" (Sunflower in English), will be launched first in early 2004, followed by the Advanced Land Observing Satellite ¡ÊALOS) for resource surveying, land coverage observation and disaster monitoring using advanced land observing technology.

In fiscal 2007, two environment monitoring satellites are scheduled for launch. One is the Greenhouse Gas Observing Satellite (GOSAT), which is to measure the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The other is the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite, which will collect data on global precipitation, to help analyze the mechanisms of climate change caused by global warming and help secure water resources for the future.

JAXA was established by merging the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), and the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL), to promote space research and development. For the domestic launches, Japan's H2A or M5 rockets will be used.

http://www.nasda.go.jp/projects/mission-in-progress_e.html
http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html

Posted: 2003/11/23 02:47:29 PM
Japanese version