Topics 2021
March 2021
Mar. 24, 2021 Updated
Bilateral Meeting with the Australian Space Agency (ASA)
Dr. Yamakawa, the President of JAXA, and Mr. Palermo, the Head of ASA, held an online bilateral meeting on March 22, 2021. During the meeting, the two sides shared information on their future plans and exchanged views on the possibility of cooperation in the fields of international space exploration and space science. Since the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) between JAXA and ASA in July last year, space cooperation between the two countries has been a topic of discussion at the summit meeting. Building on the cooperation established in the “Hayabusa2” capsule recovery mission, the two agencies concluded the meeting by confirming that they will further promote cooperation and contribute to the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. ![]() |
Mar. 15, 2021 Updated
Bilateral meeting between JAXA and ISRO
An online top-level meeting between Dr. YAMAKAWA Hiroshi, President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Dr. K. Sivan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was held on March 11, 2021. At the meeting, both agencies updated each other on their recent space activities and future plans, and confirmed the progress of ongoing joint cooperative projects such as the Utilization of Earth Observation Satellite Data, which aims to use Earth observation data to monitor heavy rainfall and rice-crop outlook, and the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission, which investigates water, a critical element for sustainable human activities on the Moon. It has been 5 years since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between JAXA and ISRO, and the two agencies concluded the meeting by confirming that their mutual understanding has deepened and cooperation has expanded, and that they will continue to strengthen their cooperative relationship going forward. ![]() Taking the opportunity of this meeting, both agencies signed an Implementation Arrangement (IA) on rice crop planted area monitoring and air quality monitoring. The two agencies will jointly conduct research to improve the data accuracy on the yields of paddy rice, which is a staple food in Asia, as well as aerosols, which impacts air quality. ![]()
Mr. Terada Koji, Vice President of JAXA and Mr. Shantanu Bhatawdekar,
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Mar. 15, 2021 Updated
JAXA and AEP Sign Letter of Intent
Dr. YAMAKAWA Hiroshi, President of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Cnel. DEM (R) Liduvino Vielman Díaz, President of the Paraguayan Space Agency (AEP) signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on March 14, 2021. It was signed on the same day the first Paraguayan satellite GUARANISAT-1 successfully deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) Japanese Experiment Module (KIBO) into orbit. Based on this LOI, JAXA and AEP have confirmed mutual intention to start dialogues to explore possibilities of cooperation in space activities for peaceful purposes. ![]() Signing the LOI (left: Cnel. DEM (R) Liduvino Vielman Díaz, AEP President / right: Dr. YAMAWAKA Hiroshi, JAXA President) |
Mar. 4, 2021 Updated
GSMaP receives "Dr. Roman L. Kintanar Award 2020" for significant contribution to Typhoon Committee's regional flood forecasting
The joint team of the International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM), the Infrastructure Development Institute (IDI) and JAXA was given the “Dr. Roman L. Kintanar Award for Typhoon-Related Disaster Mitigation - 2020”. The Dr. Roman L. Kintanar Award is given annually to an organization that has made a significant contribution to the activities of the Typhoon Committee, an inter-governmental body established under the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to reduce the damage caused by typhoons. JAXA has developed the Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP). The GSMaP has contributed significantly to flood prediction in the Typhoon Committee Region. This is the first time that Japanese organizations, other than the Japan Meteorological Agency, got the award. ![]() Acceptance speech by ICHARM Executive Director KOIKE at the 53rd session of the ![]() The GSMaP is a global rainfall map developed by combining the multi satellites under the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. The users have spread to 138 countries in the world, and the GSMaP is being used in various fields such as precipitation monitoring, flood forecasting, drought monitoring, agriculture, and so on.
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Mar. 2, 2021 Updated
Creating water simply on the surface of a celestial body
A research team led by Yusuke Nakauchi (JAXA) have conducted experiments which demonstrated that water molecules (H2O) can be generated on the Moon and in the surface layer of small bodies when hydrogen ions emitted from the Sun collide with the silicate material (the main mineral found on the Earth, Moon and other small celestial bodies) of the lunar surface. |
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February 2021
Feb. 26, 2021 Updated
Bilateral meeting between JAXA and CNES
Dr. YAMAKAWA Hiroshi, President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Dr. Jean Yves Le Gall, President of National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), held an online bilateral meeting on February 25, 2021. Dr. Yamakawa shared the successful sample return from asteroid “Ryugu” by Asteroid Explorer Hayabusa2 with Dr. Le Gall and expressed his gratitude to CNES for its cooperation in providing MicrOmega, the infrared spectroscopy microscope for the analysis of samples from asteroid “Ryugu”. The status of cooperative activities between the two agencies was also confirmed, including that of Earth Observation, Space Science and Space Transportation. Dr. Yamakawa agreed with Dr. Le Gall to promote the JAXA-CNES relationship further. ![]() |
Feb. 22, 2021 Updated
Sounding Rocket CLASP2 Elucidates Solar Magnetic Field up to the Base of the Corona
For the first time, an international research team has revealed the magnetic structure from the solar surface to the base of the corona, combining observations from the sounding rocket experiment, CLASP2, with that of the Hinode satellite. The CLASP2 instrument was developed through the joint efforts of Japan, the US, and Europe and was launched with the NASA sounding rocket on April 11, 2019. For 6.5 min, CLASP2 succeeded in observing the polarization in the ultraviolet (UV) originating from the solar chromosphere. At the same time, Hinode, which has been operated by ISAS/JAXA under international and domestic collaboration, captured the magnetic field distributed on the solar surface with high accuracy. This unprecedented duel observation revealed that confined flux tubes scattered on the solar surface rapidly expanded and merged with one another (Fig. 1). This study provides new insight into solar magnetic fields and opens up a new diagnostic window for chromospheric magnetic fields. On 19 February, this result appeared in “Science Advances,” a peer-reviewed journal in the Science (Magazine) family published by American Association for the Advancement of Science. Main TextThe outer solar atmosphere, the chromosphere (10,000 K), and the corona (1 MK), are home to extremely high temperatures compared with the solar surface (6,000 K), and the mechanism to generate such high-temperature atmospheres is not yet understood. Moreover, the plasma density of the chromosphere is higher than that of the corona, suggesting that much more energy is required to maintain the chromosphere than the corona. These are known as “chromosphere and coronal heating problem.” Various observational and theoretical investigations have been conducted to address this problem, and the chromosphere, which is the interface between the solar surface and the corona, has been known to play a critical role. However, the magnetic field in the chromosphere, which drives the fundamental processes for heating such as dynamical plasma motions and transfer of energy to the upper layers, has not been extensively measured, and the lack of information has prohibited solar physicists from understanding the issue. New instruments aimed at the measurement of chromospheric magnetic fields are being actively developed worldwide. Motivated by recent theoretical investigations on the magnetic sensitivity of the solar ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, the international CLASP and CLASP2 team focused on the polarization in the strongest UV spectral lines: hydrogen Lyman-alpha and Mg II h & k. UV polarization has been unexplored for many years since the measurement requires observation from space and the technology needed to precisely measure the polarization in UV light was not yet mature. The team has overcome these difficulties and conducted the sounding rocket experiments CLASP (for the Lyman-alpha line) in 2015 and CLASP2 (for the Mg II h & k region) in 2019. The CLASP2 international research team carried out the investigation published in Science Advances. The investigation has been coordinated by Ryohko Ishikawa (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, NAOJ) and Javier Trujillo Bueno (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, IAC). During the observing time of 6.5 min, CLASP2 observed the active region for 2.5 min and succeeded in obtaining the polarization spectra around the Mg II lines (wavelength 280 nm) for the first time (Fig. 2). Interestingly, in addition to the Mg II lines, which are the primary spectral lines targeted by CLASP2 (indicated as Mg II k and Mg II h in Fig. 2), two Mn I lines also showed clear circular polarization signals. While the Mg II lines originate from the middle to the top of the chromosphere, the Mn I lines are emitted from the lower chromosphere. By exploiting the polarization signals in these spectral lines, magnetic field measurements at different heights in the chromosphere (i.e., bottom, middle, and top of the chromosphere) are possible. Moreover, CLASP2 succeeded in coordinated observation with the Hinode satellite, which precisely measured the magnetic field on the solar surface (lower left panel of Fig. 2). By combining the observations of CLASP2 with that of the Hinode satellite, the magnetic structure from the solar surface to the top of the chromosphere was revealed (Fig. 3). The spatial variation of the magnetic field on the solar surface with large amplitudes (green line in Fig. 3) shows that the confined flux tubes are scattered on the solar surface. On the other hand, the spatial variations of the chromospheric magnetic fields (blue, black, and red circles in Fig. 3) show different behaviors: [1] the field strengths in the chromospheric layers dramatically weaken compared with those on the solar surface, [2] the higher the chromosphere, the weaker the field strength, [3] the chromosphere harbors relatively strong magnetic fields in the location where the magnetic field is weak on the surface (black arrow shows one example). Based on these observational results, it has been revealed that flux tubes rapidly expand in the chromosphere and merge with adjacent flux tubes (Fig. 1). Such a picture had been speculated by solar physicists for many years, but the observational evidence had not yet been obtained. Moreover, the team found a high correlation between the energy density (the product of electron density and temperature), which was inferred from the intensity (upper right panel of Fig. 2) and the magnetic fields at the top of the chromosphere (red circles in Fig. 3). This high correlation provides empirical evidence that chromospheric heating is of magnetic origin and that chromospheric magnetic fields, rather than those on the solar surface, are indispensable for understanding the heating mechanism. It is anticipated that the inferred picture of magnetic flux tubes connecting from the solar surface to the top of the chromosphere will allow deciphering how the magnetic field couples the different atmospheric layers, i.e., investigation of how energy is transferred between different layers of the Sun. The CLASP2 instrument was launched by a NASA sounding rocket in the White Sands Dessert, New Mexico (Fig. 4). The instrument payload landed on the White Sands Desert using a parachute and was transported back to NASA/MSFC. The CLASP2 team plans to fly the instrument again as CLASP2.1. In CLASP2, the spectrograph slit was fixed at one location, and information about the magnetic fields along a single line on the Sun was obtained. In CLASP2.1, the team aims at obtaining the 3D (spatial 2D & height) map of the magnetic fields from the solar surface to the top of the chromosphere by moving the slit. Sounding rocket experiment provides a unique chance for researchers with a scientific idea to plan and develop the instrument, and execute this in a prompt and timely manner. Hence it is particularly valuable for pioneering research and technology demonstrations that may evolve into satellite mission concepts in the future. It also provides an efficient opportunity to educate young researchers and graduate students who will lead instruments in future satellite missions. Solar physicists all over the world likewise are pursuing chromospheric magnetic field measurements with upcoming new instruments such as the SUNRISE-3 balloon project, the recently-completed DKI Solar Telescope in Hawaii and the future European Solar Telescope (EST) in Canary Islands. Finally, it is critically important to simultaneously observe the heating process in greater detail. The new solar satellite mission, Solar-C Extreme Ultraviolet High-Throughput Spectroscopic Telescope (EUVST), which is being developed by Japan in close collaboration with the US and European partners, will be able to perform spectroscopic observations of the chromosphere to the corona with high spatial and temporal resolutions (though without polarization diagnostics). Solar physicists are excited to tackle the ‘chromospheric and coronal heating problem’ by exploiting various observational facilities and diagnostic methods. Appendix・Magnetic field measurements and chromospheric magnetic field ・CLASP (Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter)
・CLASP2 (Chromospheric LAyer Spectro-Polarimeter) ・Active region ・Zeeman effect ![]() Fig.1:Measuring the magnetic field strength at four different heights by using data from the CLASP2 and Hinode allowed mapping of the spread of magnetic field lines in the plage chromosphere (Credit: NAOJ). ![]() Fig.2:Summary of data used in this study. CLASP2 obtained the polarization spectra (right two panels) at the location of the slit shown by the green solid line. The solar chromosphere around the CLASP2 slit was monitored by the Slit-Jaw monitor system (SJ) aboard CLASP2 (upper left panel). The detailed magnetic field information on the solar surface was recorded by the Solar Optical Telescope aboard the Hinode satellite (lower left panel), where the white and black show the strong magnetic fields with N- and S- polarities. In the background is the full disk image of the solar chromosphere taken by the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) satellite. (Credit: NAOJ, IAC, NASA/MSFC, IAS) ![]() Fig.3:Mapping of the magnetic fields from the solar surface to the base of the corona (top chromosphere), along the CLASP2 slit (green solid line in Fig. 2) at four different heights of the solar atmosphere. (Credit: NAOJ, IAC, NASA/MSFC, IAS) ![]() Fig.4:Launch of the CLASP2 sounding rocket. Credit: US Army Photo, White Sands Missile Range Paper“Mapping Solar Magnetic Fields from the Photosphere to the Base of the Corona” The CLASP2 international research team:Ryohko Ishikawa (NAOJ, Japan) Acknowledgments for research grantsCLASP2 is an international partnership between NASA/MSFC, NAOJ, JAXA, IAC, and IAS; additional partners include ASCR, IRSOL, LMSAL, and the University of Oslo. The Japanese contribution to CLASP2 was supported by:
The contribution of Spain to CLASP2 was supported by:
The contribution of France to CLASP2 was supported by:
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Feb. 15, 2021 Updated
Call for team participation in the 2nd Kibo Robot Programming Challenge (Kibo-RPC)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will host a programming competition involving free-flying robots of JAXA and NASA in ISS/Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) known as "Kibo". JAXA is pleased to announce that the call for team participation has been open. 【Entry details and application】
【Deadline】May 16, 2021 at 23:59 (JST) 【Entry Qualification】Students up to graduate school students in Kibo-ABC member countries including Japan. ![]() |
Feb. 5, 2021 Updated
Bilateral meeting between JAXA and ESA
Dr. YAMAKAWA Hiroshi, President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Dr. Jan Wörner, Director-General of European Space Agency (ESA), took part in an online bilateral meeting on February 4, 2021. The status of cooperative activities between the two agencies was confirmed, including that for Earth Observation, Space Science and Space Exploration. Taking the opportunity of this bilateral meeting, two agreements concerning the cooperation on Hera, an ESA-led mission, and MMX, a JAXA-led mission, were concluded. Hera is an ESA-led international planetary defense mission to carry out observations of NASA’s DART mission’s impact on the binary asteroid Didymos. Under this agreement, JAXA contributes to the mission by providing the thermal infrared camera and science collaboration. See below for the detail of the Hera mission.
MMX is JAXA’s exploration mission, which plans to collect a sample from the Martian moon, Phobos, to bring back to Earth. |