Last month, February, was full of notable events, such as the launch of MICHIBIKI No. 6 (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System; QZS-6) aboard the 5th H3 Launch Vehicle, and the publication of a paper presenting the results of research based on the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) in the scientific journal Nature. In addition, we signed a partnership agreement with the Japan Sports Agency, and held a press briefing on the progress of the investigation into the combustion anomaly during the static firing test of the Epsilon S second-stage motor.
Many of these events made me aware of the importance of strengthening our partnerships and collaboration with the government, relevant ministries and agencies, as well as organizations and companies both in Japan and abroad, to develop and implement a wide range of JAXA projects. I also felt the need to further enhance various aspects, including the common core technologies that underpin our projects, information system security, organizational management, and cross-functional collaboration within JAXA.
Today, I would like to touch on some of these topics.

The first topic concerns the Space Strategy Fund.
Last July, JAXA began publicly inviting applications in phases for 22 technology development themes designated for research and development under the Space Strategy Fund, which was allocated to JAXA through the government’s FY2023 supplementary budget. Additionally, since October, it has been gradually announcing the selected organizations that will work on the themes. With the press release issued on February 28, JAXA has now announced the selection results^[1] for all the 22 themes in the first round.

Going forward, the implementing organizations will take the lead in their respective technology development activities. JAXA will help them achieve successful outcomes by providing technical support and other forms of assistance, in line with the government’s basic policy and implementation guidelines for the Space Strategy Fund, while playing a role as a hub connecting industry, academia, and government.

Next, I would like to share the results of the Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration (CRD2) Phase I mission.
After approximately one year of on-orbit operations since its launch in February 2024, Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J), a demonstration satellite developed and operated by Astroscale Japan Inc. for JAXA’s CRD2 Phase I mission, has successfully completed its mission.
As we shared with the media in the mission outcome briefing held on February 26, all four of JAXA's required services in the CRD2 Phase I mission for technical demonstrations have been successfully carried out by our partner company, Astroscale Japan Inc. These services included "rendezvous performance reporting service," "fixed-point observation service," "fly-around observation service," and "mission termination service (transfer to a safe orbit without colliding with the target)."
We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to Astroscale Japan Inc. and all those involved in the mission.
CRD2 has already moved on to the next mission, Phase II. In this phase, JAXA plans to carry out technical demonstrations on the same space debris targeted in Phase I. They include capture, deorbiting by towing, and removal from orbit, in addition to the proximity operations performed in Phase I.
For Phase II, JAXA has once again concluded a partnership-type contract with Astroscale Japan Inc., and the two parties will continue working together toward the launch scheduled for fiscal 2027 and the successful completion of the on-orbit mission.

As announced in the press release issued on February 28, the international partners concerned agreed to proceed with preparations for the launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft (Crew-10) with Astronaut ONISHI Takuya on board, at 8:48 am on Thursday, March 13, Japan time.

Astronaut ONISHI, on his second spaceflight, will serve as ISS commander for Expedition 73. We expect Astronaut ONISHI to leverage his knowledge and experience he cultivated as a flight director through operations and control of the Japanese Experiment Module, Kibo, to demonstrate his full capabilities in pursuit of the mission’s success, by working closely with other crew members staying aboard the ISS, the ground-based JAXA Flight Control Team (JFCT), and those involved in research.

Astronaut ONISHI’s experiment missions during his stay on the ISS will build on technologies developed through previous experiments performed on the Japanese Experiment Module, Kibo. The upcoming experiments include the Demonstration of Removing Carbon-dioxide System (DRCS) for future manned space exploration, an investigation into the effects of the microgravity environment on cancer treatment drugs, and the Flammability Limits At Reduced-g Experiment (FLARE) aimed at improving fire safety in space by assessing solid material combustion with gravitational effects taken into consideration. Through these missions, JAXA will promote a variety of applications that fully leverage Kibo’s experimental environment.

Astronaut ONISHI Takuya’s long-duration mission on the ISS and appointment as ISS commander serve as a sign of trust in Japan’s manned spaceflight technology, developed over the years. JAXA will take this mission as an opportunity to foster new scientific achievements, advance manned spaceflight technology, and expand private-sector utilization of space, thereby contributing to the further progress of humanity. We would appreciate it if we could have your continuing support.

The development and operation of the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) series, trace gas observation satellites, are part of the joint Earth observation satellite project being undertaken by MOE, the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), and JAXA. The primary focus of the GOSAT series is to monitor atmospheric concentrations of trace gases, such as CO2 and methane, from space.
The first satellite in the GOSAT series, also known as IBUKI, was launched in 2009, followed by the second satellite, GOSAT-2, launched in 2018. Both remain in active operation today, having contributed to the accumulation of observation data over 16 years. In the next fiscal year, JAXA is planning to launch the third satellite in the GOSAT series, Global Observing SATellite for Greenhouse gases and Water cycle (GOSAT-GW), which is currently under development. Continuing to gather global-scale observation data and conduct research and analysis is extremely important in terms of data continuity, and through these efforts, JAXA will further contribute to monitoring climate change and addressing global warming.

In the press release issued on February 6, we shared a preliminary report on the latest findings from CO2 concentration observations conducted by GOSAT. As shown in the graph projected on the front monitor, the average concentration of CO2 in the global atmosphere, shown by the black line, has been rising year by year. In addition, its year-on-year increases, represented by the red bars, reveal that the increase from 2023 to 2024 was the largest since 2011, when the analysis on GOSAT data began*. The possible contributing factors behind this include the following: high temperatures and droughts caused by the El Niño phenomenon that occurred from 2023 through 2024; an increase in CO2 emissions due to wildfires, along with a resulting decline in terrestrial vegetation and the associated reduction in photosynthesis; and increased anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. JAXA will investigate these possibilities by conducting detailed analyses using the data newly acquired from GOSAT, as well as all available data from the entire GOSAT series.

At the regular press conference in December, I shared that JAXA, the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had signed an agreement to continue cooperation on the mutual comparison of satellite data on trace gases. I also mentioned that addressing climate change is a global-scale, imminent issue for humanity. Let me once again underscore the importance of continued data acquisition, research, and analysis, while also demonstrating Japan’s strong international presence in this field.

^[1]This theme is being reopened for applications. (Announced as having “no fund recipient” on November 29, 2024.)