The 65th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) was held in late September in Toronto, Canada. As I attended it, let me report the result.
At the IAC, a conference was held by the heads of space agencies around the world, and I reported JAXA activities in the past year and our future events. I also reported that Japan plans to set up a new Basic Plan on Space Policy.
 As many heads of space agencies participated in the IAC, I held a one-on-one meeting with some of them including the chiefs of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canada Space Agency (CSA). We discussed mutual cooperation projects and issues and exchanged opinions.
 To the agencies who take part in the International Space Station (ISS), I proposed that we conduct worldwide activities for stakeholders to further deepen their understanding toward the ISS project by generating more concrete achievements. My proposal was accepted.
 Senior Vice President Kiyoshi Higuchi was re-elected as the President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) to assume this post for two more years.

On Oct. 10, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Deputy Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Prof. Chau Van Minh, President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) and some members of the Vietnamese Cabinet visited the Tsukuba Space Center. Senior VP Higuchi and I welcomed them.
 Vice Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his gratitude toward JAXA's cooperation. We also signed a document that confirms to promote cooperation between JAXA and VAST. I think it is a very important step to deepen cooperative relation between Japan and other countries including Asian countries.

 JAXA and local agencies in Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Vietnam, in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank, have been addressing the introduction of a flood warning system in those countries using data from the Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) that is compiled by JAXA based on data acquired through the “SHIZUKU” (GCOM-W), GPM/DPR, and Himawari. The system is almost established in Bangladesh and we conducted an emergency drill for local residents as a pilot test in late August. At the drill, a local agency sent an SMS message of flood projection information to residents’ mobile phones, then mocked the local government’s decision making process and evacuation guidance. We received a report that the necessary time for information transmission to local residents was reduced by a few days thanks to the introduction of flood projection information using satellite data and mobile phone messages. Taking this successful result, we plan to hold a final workshop for the project in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in the end of November. A similar scheme has also been introduced in the Philippines, and we will conduct some experiments there in the near future.
 JAXA will cooperate with Asian countries in the field of disaster preparation through these kinds of activities.

We received a proposal for a project from a pharmaceutical company based on a fee system. We are currently working on some contract issues and other details, thus we will announce it on the website as soon as all the details are determined.
JAXA maintains its basic stance to promote and provide opportunities for the use of the Kibo by diversified industries, and that includes both with and without fees. The proposal this time is the first case with fees for the High-Quality Protein Crystal Growth Experiment (PCG) by a private company

One of the micro satellites deployed from the ISS based on the ISS utilization system with fees, which begun on a trial basis in April this year, will be delivered to the Tsukuba Space Center later this month. It will be launched to the ISS within this year at the earliest.
This satellite is a micro satellite of the Brazilian Space Agency, and JAXA will deploy it from the Kibo according to a contract between JAXA and Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation formed in July 2014.
In the same manner as the aforementioned PCG, it is great pleasure to provide opportunities for the paid utilization of the Kibo, which promotes ISS use by private companies.

A flight model of the CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) was delivered to the Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC.) The CALET aims at elucidating the origin of space rays and the true character of black matter by observing high energy electron, gamma rays, and other things. We plan to conduct its functional test at the TKSC.
Currently the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) and other projects is in progress on the Kibo's Exposed Facility, and they provide us with achievements. We are striving to further increase values of effective utilization of the Exposed Facility in various ways like the MAXI project as the facility is one of the special features of the Kibo.

Astronaut Wakata is coming home to hold some mission report meetings and make courtesy visits. The following is his schedule.