Space Exploration Innovation Hub Center (commonly known as the "Exploration Hub") established within JAXA, which was selected for the program sponsored by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) to support the launch of innovation hubs, began operating from 2015 as an innovative organization that conducts joint research with outside organizations on new technologies for space exploration. Major outside organizations that partner with this Exploration Hub are private businesses, universities and research institutions that conduct business or research in the field of exploration, production, construction, habitation and support. The Exploration Hub establishes research themes, and seeks and selects research projects from organizations that match those themes.

The aim is to create technologies that will be useful in space exploration, and at the same time, have business potential on earth. FUSE Tetsuhito, who serves as the chief of research and development, says, "A technology can be called an 'innovation' not when innovative technology is invented, but when that innovative technology is implemented in society. At JAXA, our goal is to acquire knowledge that will be useful for space exploration, while also generating profit through commercialization for our partners."

The number of joint researches during Phase 1 of this effort, in which the period of support received from JST ends at the end of this fiscal year, numbers a total of 75 projects. The details of the projects vary, and include the development of a water-saving plant cultivation system that uses dry fog in future lunar farming. This system is scheduled to be adapted toward the cultivation of vegetables on earth, and is considered a good example of "technologies that can be used both in space and on Earth" that is sought for by this Exploration Hub.

For Phase 2, which starts from next fiscal year, Fuse says, "we will raise the level of our efforts even more."

"First, we will draw in the participation of people at JAXA, and spread the research themes that have been limited to space exploration into other fields. We plan to have JAXA engineers who come forward with research ideas to serve as that research theme's leader, and select the organizations with which to partner with. And as part one of this effort, we will work together with those in the Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate to establish research themes in the medical field. Eventually, we hope such efforts will spread out into various different fields, such as rockets and satellites."