As fiscal year 2026 begins, this is our first monthly press conference.
Let me first introduce the Board of Directors.
Effective April 1, ISHII Yasuo has been appointed as Senior Vice President.
The other Board members remain unchanged.
We will continue to fulfill our responsibilities, and we would appreciate your continued support this fiscal year as well.

The eight CubeSats proposed by companies and other organizations as part of Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-4, the fourth mission in the Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program, are scheduled for launch on or after April 23 aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle from New Zealand.
At the press briefing held on April 6, the institutions and companies that proposed the eight CubeSats took the stage to explain the objectives and features of each satellite. They also shared their enthusiasm for the launch. JAXA will continue to make steady preparations for the launch together with the eight institutions and companies.

A major feature of HTV-X is its dual function as a cargo transporter, a role previously fulfilled by the conventional HTV, and as a platform for technical demonstrations for up to 18 months in orbit.

On March 7, HTV-X1 was unberthed from the International Space Station (ISS) by the station’s robotic arm. With this, HTV-X1 completed its ISS cargo resupply mission and began approximately three months of operations as an on-orbit platform for technical demonstrations.

The first technical demonstration conducted by HTV-X1 was the deployment of a small satellite using H-SSOD (HTV-X Small Satellite Orbital Deployer), newly introduced to HTV-X. On March 11, HTV-X1 successfully deployed Ten-Koh2, a satellite developed by Nihon University, into orbit.
The use of H-SSOD will provide a new means of deploying small satellites into orbits at altitudes higher than the ISS by leveraging HTV-X’s flexible flight capability, one of its key features. We expect this to open up new space applications, with benefits such as extended operational lifetimes for small satellites and their expanded use in practical missions.

Following the deployment of Ten-Koh2, HTV-X1 is currently conducting its second demonstration mission, an on-orbit experiment using Mt. FUJI (MulTiple reFlector Unit from Jaxa Investigation), in which the attitude of HTV-X1 is measured through laser ranging to estimate its distance and attitude motion. For this demonstration, in addition to the JAXA Tsukuba Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) Station, we are calling on SLR stations around the world to conduct ranging observations as part of an international effort. By comparing the obtained measurement data with HTV-X1’s actual attitude motion data, we are conducting analyses for accuracy assessment and other evaluations.

Following the on-orbit experiment using Mt. FUJI, HTV-X1 will conduct the DEployable LIGHtweight planar antenna Technology demonstration (DELIGHT) and the Space solar cell Demonstration system on HTV-X (SDX). It will then re-enter the atmosphere and complete all of its missions.

JAXA will continue to contribute to technological innovation with an eye on future space development and applications while maximizing the use of HTV-X as a platform for on-orbit technical demonstrations.

The third topic is the first JAXA-ESA Joint Working Group meeting held under the JAXA-ESA Framework Agreement for a Strategic Partnership on Climate Action.

JAXA and ESA have maintained a long-standing cooperative relationship in the area of climate change. The two parties’ cooperation has expanded from the reception of Earth observation satellite data to the verification of greenhouse gas measurements from space and the development of the Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE), a Japan-Europe joint Earth observation mission currently in operation.

Against this backdrop, in the field of Earth observation, the JAXA-ESA Framework Agreement for a Strategic Partnership on Climate Action was signed in June 2025. This Agreement is primarily intended for the provision of, among other things, Earth observation data and tools that support decision-making related to climate action.
Then, on March 11 and 12, 2026, the first JAXA-ESA Joint Working Group meeting was held under this Agreement.
It was the first plenary meeting following the establishment of the strategic partnership, and was co-chaired by Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, and TAKIGUCHI Futoshi, JAXA’s Vice President and Director General of Space Technology Directorate I. During the meeting, it was decided to continue and advance the conceptual study of a joint mission following EarthCARE, which shifted to nominal observation operations in January 2025 and has been delivering observation and research outcomes.
JAXA and ESA have been cooperating through individual Earth observation missions and joint research projects. Going forward, through this meeting and other such opportunities, the two parties will exchange information across the full range of Earth observation efforts—from the establishment of joint missions and the promotion of mission interoperability to the use and dissemination of observation data—thereby aiming to identify activities and policies that can be pursued comprehensively and strategically.

To address climate change, a global challenge, ESA and JAXA will continue to work side by side to make further contributions.