JAXA Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

The CLASP2 sounding rocket experiment launched on April 11, 2019 at 10:51 a.m. MDT (01:51 a.m. JST on April 12) from the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, USA. It reached 274 km at maximum altitude and observed the Sun for 6 minutes from above 160 km. After the observations, the instrument parachuted down to the White Sands Desert, and was carried back to the laboratory. All the data stored in the instrument were recovered successfully.

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CLASP2 Sounding Rocket launch. (credit: US Army Photo, White Sands Missile Range)

CLASP was successfully launched | Hinode Science Center at NAOJ

Mar. 26, 2019 Updated
UNOOSA and JAXA open Fifth Round of KiboCUBE!

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is pleased to announce the opening of the fifth round of KiboCUBE.

KiboCUBE: Fifth Round
1) Application
Application Submission	September 30, 2019
Eligibility Criteria	Entities located in developing countries that are member states of the United Nations (please refer to the "Announcement of Opportunity" for further details.
Deployment	Deployment expected by March 2021, subject to the ISS operational requirements and progress of the CubeSat development.
2) Selection
Selection and notification of applicants	November 30, 2019 Maximum of two entities (1U CubeSat per entity) will be selected.

Please refer to the following website for further details regarding the applications for the KiboCUBE fifth round ("Announcement of Opportunity"). The application due date is September 30. We look forward to receiving many applicants and contributing to the capacity building of your country!

Application details:
http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/psa/hsti/kibocube/3.2019.html

(Reference 1)
KiboCUBE programme is a collaboration programme between JAXA and UNOOSA to offer developing countries the opportunity to deploy small satellites from the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" on the International Space Station (ISS).

(Reference 2) Results of past selection
A team from the University of Nairobi (Kenya) was granted for the 1st round of KiboCUBE, and the satellite was deployed from Kibo in May, 2018.
A team from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (Guatemala) was granted for the second round of KiboCUBE. A team from Mauritius Research Council (Mauritius) and a team from Surya University (Indonesia) were granted for the third round of KiboCUBE. JAXA and OOSA are currently under selection of the fourth round of KiboCUBE.

Successful deployment of 1KUNS-PF (Kenyan Satellite, selected as first round of KiboCUBE) from Kibo in May, 2018

Mar. 1, 2019 Updated
New Dataset Release: GCOM-C/SGLI

JAXA GCOM-C (Global Change Observation Mission - Climate "SHIKISAI") satellite was launched on Dec. 23rd, 2017 to conduct long-term and continuous global observations in order to elucidate the global warming mechanisms related to fluctuations in radiation budget and/or carbon cycles etc.

The onboard sensor SGLI (Second Generation Global Imager) can observe 19 bands of radiations from near-ultraviolet to thermal infrared region (380 nm-12 µm), which yield various physical properties related to cloud, water, snow, ice, aerosol, sea, land, vegetation, biomass, chlorophyll a, and photosynthesis. The spatial resolution and swath of SGLI are 250m and greater than 1,000 km respectively and the whole globe can be scanned approximately in every two days.

SGLI can observe 15 Essential Climate Variables (ECV) such as cloud, aerosols, vegetation, etc. and its data are expected to contribute to improve the projection accuracy of climate change and also to predict fishing grounds, yellow sands, red tides, etc.

The released products can be downloaded via JAXA G-Portal ( https://gportal.jaxa.jp/ )

Contact Point: JAXA G-portal help desk: mailaddress

1. Events after the launch

The data was released as scheduled according to the following operations.
December 23, 2017Launch of GCOM-C (SHIKISAI)
January 1, 2018　Obtained First Light images
March 28, 2018　Started initial calibration and validation operations
December14, 2018Completed initial calibration and validation operations

2. The overview of Initial calibration and validation operations

To detect tiny climate change signals, higher accuracy products are needed. JAXA performed calibration with GCOM-C function using solar light, internal lamps, black body, lunar light and others, and compared (calibration and validation) GCOM-C observation value with ground observation data acquired in cooperation with ground observation networks (Skynet, AERONET and AsiaFlux) and collaborating research institutes (universities, Meteorological Research Institute, JAMSTEC and NOAA). As a result of the calibration, JAXA confirmed that the accuracy of 29 types of products covering land, atmosphere, ocean and cryosphere is attained to start data utilization.

3. GCOM-C/SGCLI Standard Products

Further information for the definition of the product and sample data is available at;

https://suzaku.eorc.jaxa.jp/GCOM_C/data/product_std.html

1) Chlorophyll-a Concentration

Global chlorophyll-a concentration (average of October 2018)

2) Aerosols

Polarization radiance at 867nm　(average from August 11 to 20, 2018)

3) Global vegetation index (NDVI)

The image is a map of global normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from SGLI observation data acquired during January 1st to 9th 2018. NDVI becomes high at active vegetation with high density, indicating the spatial distribution of vegetation on the global scale.

Global Change Observation Mission - Climate "SHIKISAI" (GCOM-C)

Feb. 25, 2019 Updated
[HAYABUSA2 PROJECT] Image from just after touchdown

From February 20 to 22, we conducted the touchdown operation (TD1-L8E1) of Hayabusa2 on the surface of asteroid Ryugu. Figure 1 shows an image taken with the Optical Navigation Camera – Wide angle (ONC-W1) during the spacecraft ascent after touchdown. Figure 1 was captured roughly 1 minute after touchdown at an estimated altitude of about 25m (error is a few meter). The color of the region beneath the spacecraft’s shadow differs from the surroundings and has been discolored by the touchdown. At the moment, the reason for the discoloration is unknown but it may be due to the grit that was blown upwards by the spacecraft thrusters or bullet (projectile). [More to read] Figure 1: Image captured near the touchdown site immediately after touchdown. The photograph was taken with the Optical Navigation Camera – Wide angle (ONC-W1) on February 22, 2019 at an onboard time of around 07:30 JST. (Image credit: JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, University of Aizu, AIST.) Asteroid Explorer "Hayabusa2"

From February 20 to 22, we conducted the touchdown operation (TD1-L8E1) of Hayabusa2 on the surface of asteroid Ryugu. Figure 1 shows an image taken with the Optical Navigation Camera – Wide angle (ONC-W1) during the spacecraft ascent after touchdown.

Figure 1 was captured roughly 1 minute after touchdown at an estimated altitude of about 25m (error is a few meter). The color of the region beneath the spacecraft’s shadow differs from the surroundings and has been discolored by the touchdown. At the moment, the reason for the discoloration is unknown but it may be due to the grit that was blown upwards by the spacecraft thrusters or bullet (projectile).

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Figure 1: Image captured near the touchdown site immediately after touchdown. The photograph was taken with the Optical Navigation Camera – Wide angle (ONC-W1) on February 22, 2019 at an onboard time of around 07:30 JST.
(Image credit: JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, University of Aizu, AIST.)

Asteroid Explorer "Hayabusa2"

[HAYABUSA2 PROJECT] Image from just after touchdown

Feb. 20, 2019 Updated
H.E. Mr. William F. Hagerty, U.S. Ambassador to Japan, visited Tsukuba Space Center

H.E. Mr. William F. Hagerty, U.S. Ambassador to Japan, visited Tsukuba Space Center on February 15, 2019.

JAXA and the U.S. related organizations have built a long and close relationship in a wide range of activities including the International Space Station and space exploration, Earth and space science, aeronautics research and so on.

Ambassador Hagerty visited the Exhibition Hall "Space Dome" and the Kibo* Mission Control Room, and the Ambassador also met with Dr. Hiroshi Yamakawa, President of JAXA, or other JAXA officials. Both sides exchanged views on aerospace cooperation between JAXA and its counterpart agencies in the U.S.

*Kibo; Japanese Experiment Module of the International Space Station