AAS 97-693
THE JAPANESE SPACE PROGRAM
K.T. Uesugi - The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan
Abstract
Following the Japanese national space policy established by the Space Activities Commission (SAC), the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) are implementing the space programs.
ISAS is the central institute for space and astronautical science in Japan and now carrying out several missions such as PLANET-B (a Mars orbiter), LUNAR-A (a lunar penetrators mission), ASTRO-E (an X-ray astronomy mission), MUSES-C (a sample return mission from a near-Earth asteroid) and ASTRO-F (an infra-red observatory).
NASDA is the central Japanese space development organization for promoting space applications and now implementing several missions such as COMETS (a communications test satellite), TRMM (a tropical rainfall measuring mission) and ETS-VII and ADEOS-II. NASDA is also developing H-IIA, an improved type of H-II rocket, in order to meet various future launch requirements including large geostationary satellites, HOPE, a winged space vehicle, Lunar and planetary missions, and International Space Station logistics missions.