Nozomi, Japanese spacecraft to Mars, launched 1998

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched its first spacecraft to another planet July 3, 1998. Nozomi ("wish" or "hope") was intended to orbit Mars and study the atmosphere and solar wind.  During its first flyby of Earth for a gravitational assist, Nozomi suffered a malfunctioning valve which depleted much of its fuel and left Nozomi with insufficient acceleration to reach Mars.  Two more course corrections used more propellant than planned, leaving Nozomi even more depleted.

JAXA planned to put Nozomi into a heliocentric orbit for four years and make two Earth flybys to gain momentum and reach Mars at a slower velocity.

In April 2002, Nozomi was approaching Earth for another gravity assist when solar flares damaged its onboard communications and power systems.  An electrical short in a power cell caused the remaining hydrazine fuel to freeze.  Fortunately the fuel thawed out by the time it reached Earth, due to its proximity to the sun, and made a successful flyby in December 2002.

Another Earth flyby occurred in June 2003, but in December 2003, efforts to orient Nozomi to prepare for a main thruster orbital insertion at Mars failed.  The mission was abandoned.  The small thrusters were fired on December 9, 2003 so Nozomi would approach Mars to a distance of 1000 km and would not impact the surface.  The spacecraft remains in a heliocentric orbit.

Hayabusa returns from asteroid Itokawa 2010

Hayabusa (not to be confused with Hayabusa 2) returned to Earth after visiting the near-Earth asteroid Itokawa, June 13, 2010.  Launched in 2003, it was the first spacecraft designed to land on an asteroid and then take off again.  

Scientists at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) studied particles taken from Itokawa, most of which were about 10 micrometers in size.  They determined that the grains were extraterrestrial in origin, meaning they resembled meteorites and asteroids, rather than known rocks from Earth. 

Hayabusa 2 capsule returns to Earth 2020

The surface of Ryugu

Hayabusa 2, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) probe launched in 2014, returned to Earth with samples from near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu December 5, 2020.  After its sampling mission was completed in November 2019, Hayabusa 2 fired its ion engines and returned to Earth.

It released the sample capsule on December 5, 2020 and the capsule landed at the Woomera Test Range in Australia.  JAXA has shared a portion of the samples with NASA and NASA will share samples from asteroid Bennu, when OSIRIS-REx returns in 2023.

Hayabusa lands on the asteroid Itokawa

Hayabusa, the Japanese spacecraft launched in May 2003, landed on the asteroid Itokawa November 19, 2005.  It had arrived at the asteroid just two months before.  Just as it landed, Hayabusa fired tiny projectiles at the surface and collected the spray.  Small specks were collected to be sent back to Earth for analysis. 

Hayabusa returned to Earth June 13, 2010 in Australia.  

NASA, SpaceX Crew-5 launched today!

SpaceX Crew 5 (L-R): Anna Kikina, Josh Cassada, Nicole Mann, Koichi Wakata

SpaceX Crew 5 mission poster

About noon today, NASA/SpaceX's Commercial Crew Program launched its fifth crew to the International Space Station.  Its crew consists of Commander Nicole Mann (NASA), Pilot Josh Cassada (NASA), Anna Kikina (Roscosmos), and Koichi Wakata (JAXA), who is on his fifth spaceflight.  They plan to dock with the ISS tomorrow.

They are scheduled to stay in space for approximately six months and return to Earth in March.

MASCOT Rover deployed from Hayabusa 2 onto Ryugu 2018

The massively successful Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Hayabusa 2 deployed one of its four rovers, Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout (MASCOT) onto the surface of asteroid Ryugu, October 3, 2018.  The German Aerospace Center (DLR) developed MASCOT in cooperation with National Centre for Space Studies in France.  It weights only about 21 lbs and is about 11.6"x10.8"x7.7".  It ran for about 16 hours on a non-rechargeable battery and completed its mission successfully.  

Three papers have been published discussing the results from MASCOT in Nature Astronomy, Science, and Journal of Geophysical Research.

SpaceX Crew-2 launched today!

SpaceX Crew-2 (L-R): Megan McArthur, Thomas Pesquet, Akihiko Hoshide, Shane Kimbrough

Mission patch

SpaceX Crew-2 was launched this morning just before 6am.  Its crew consists of Commander Shane Kimbrough, Pilot Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide (JAXA), and Thomas Pesquet (ESA).  They are expected to dock with the International Space Station tomorrow morning.

They are planned to undock and return to Earth in October 2021.

Columbia (STS-87) launched 1997

STS-87 crew

Front row (L-R): Kalpana Chawla, Steve Lindsey, Kevin Kregel, Leonid Kadeniuk

Back row (L-R): Winston Scott, Takao Doi

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87), launched November 19, 1997, was the first EVA conducted by a Japanese astronaut.  Its crew consisted of Commander Kevin Kregel, Pilot Steve Lindsey, Kalpana Chawla, Winston Scott, Takao Doi (JAXA), and Leonid Kadeniuk (first Ukrainian astronaut).  

Scott and Doi conducted two EVAs, which lasted almost 13 hours total.

They returned to Earth December 5.

Akatsuki, JAXA Venus Climate Orbiter, launched 2010

Akatsuki (Dawn), launched May 20, 2010, is a Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency spacecraft to study the Venusian atmosphere.  The spacecraft was supposed to attain orbit over Venus in December 2010, but the maneuver failed.  Akatsuki was placed in a heliocentric orbit.

A second orbital insertion burn was initiated in December 2015 and the maneuver was successful.  Akatsuki began its operations in May 2016.  Its mission has been extended through the end of 2020 and further missions may be possible.

Hayabusa, spacecraft to Itokawa, launched 2003

Hayabusa, launched May 9, 2003, was a spacecraft developed by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency to the near-Earth asteroid Itokawa.  It arrived at Itokawa in September 2005.  It studied the asteroid for two months, landing in November.    It collected a few grains from the asteroid's surface and returned to Earth in June 2010.

Happy birthday, Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa!

Satoshi Furukawa, born April 4, 1964 in Yokohama City, Japan, is a surgeon and a JAXA astronaut.  He went into space aboard Soyuz TMA-02M in June 2011 to the International Space Station.  He participated in Expeditions 28 and 29 before returning to Earth in November 2011.

He was an aquanaut during the NEEMO 13 project in the Aquarius underwater laboratory in August 2007.

Happy birthday, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui!

Kimiya Yui, born January 30, 1970 in Japan, has spent 141 days in space aboard the International Space Station.  He went aboard Soyuz TMA-17M in July 2015 and served as part of Expeditions 44 and 45.  He returned to Earth December 2015.

Prior to going to space, Yui was an aquanaut in the Aquarius Underwater Laboratory in June 2012.  He was part of expedition NEEMO 16.

Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSat) launched 2009

The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite or GOSat was launched by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) January 23, 2009.  It measures densities of carbon dioxide and methane from 56,000 locations in th eEarth's atmosphere. 

Happy birthday, JAXA Astronaut Norishige Kanai!

Dr. Norishige Kanai, born December 5, 1976 in Tokyo, Japan, went into space aboard Soyuz MS-07 to the International Space Station in December 2015.  He was part of the crews for Expeditions 54 and 55.  In July 2015, he participated as an aquanaut in the Aquarius underwater laboratory as part of the NEEMO 20 crew.

Hayabusa 2, spacecraft to asteroid Ryugu, launched 2014

Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency launched the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft to the near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu December 3, 2014.  It rendezvoused with the asteroid in June 2018 and ejected two rovers to the surface in September 2018. It departed Ryugu in November 2019 and expected to return to Earth with samples in late 2020.

Soyuz TMA-17M launched 2015

Soyuz TMA-17M crew (L-R): Oleg Kononenko, Kjell Lindgren, Kimiya Yui

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-17M, launched  July 22, 2015, carried members of Expedition 44 to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Oleg Kononenko (Roscosmos), Kimiya Yui (JAXA) and Kjell Lindgren (NASA).

They returned to Earth December 2015.

Soyuz MS-01 launched 2016

Soyuz MS-01 crew (L-R): Anatoli Ivanishin, Kathleen Rubins, Takuya Onishi

Mission patch

Soyuz MS-01, launched July 7, 2016, was a spaceflight to the International Space Station, carrying the members of Expedition 48.  Its crew consisted of Commander Anatoli Ivanishin (Roscosmos), Takuya Onishi (JAXA), Kathleen Rubins (NASA).

Rubins conducted two EVAs during her stay aboard the ICC for almost 13 hours total.  The crew of Soyuz MS-01 returned to Earth October 2016.

Happy birthday, Japanese astronaut Mamoru Mohri!

Mamoru Mohri, born January 29, 1948 in Japan, is a veteran of two space shuttle missions. He was selected as astronaut by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) which is now the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

His first flight was on board Endeavour (STS-47) as mission specialist in September 1992.  It was a joint venture between NASA and NASDA, using a Spacelab module to conduct life and material sciences experiments.

Mohri's second and final flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-99) in February 2000 as mission specialist again.  The Smithsonian Networks aired a documentary Oasis Earth in 2007, which featured Mohri shooting video of the moon and Mount Fuji.

Hiten, Japan's first lunar spacecraft, launched 1990

The Hiten spacecraft, launched January 24, 1990, was Japan's first lunar spacecraft.  It was also the first lunar spacecraft from a country other than the United States and the Soviet Union.  It was the first lunar probe since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. 

Hiten was manufactured by Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, which later became a division of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). 

Hiten experienced some problems after launch, but the issues were solved and Hiten entered a lunar orbit.  It released a small orbiter, Hagoromo, on its first flyby of the moon.  Hagoromo's transmitter failed but its orbit was confirmed visually from Earth.

Hiten was deliberately crashed onto the lunar surface in April 1993.

JAXA's MINERVA II 1 has released its rovers to Ryugu

Asteroid Ryugu from MINERVA II 1

Just a few hours ago, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that the MINERVA II 1( Micro-Nano Experimental Robot Vehicle for the Asteroid) has released its two rovers, ROVER-1A and ROVER-1B to explore the Near-Earth Object/Asteroid Ryugu. 

Contact has been lost with MINERVA but JAXA figures it is due  to the rotation of the asteroid.  Hopefully, they will re-establish contact soon.