The Kibo-ABC Initiative, comprising space agencies and organizations across the Asia-Pacific region, including JAXA, has opened registration for the Space Harvest Ideathon, an international educational program conducted under the framework of Space Seeds for Asian Future (SSAF).

The Space Harvest Ideathon invites ideas related to plants and cultivation methods for food production in space, with an eye toward future human space exploration and long-term stays on the Moon and Mars. The program consists of the following two categories.

What to Grow
Ideas for plant seeds suitable for space food production
We are seeking ideas for plants that can contribute to nutritional management and improve quality of life (QoL) during space missions.

How to Grow
Ideas for growing plants in extraterrestrial environments
We are seeking ideas on plants, cultivation methods, and growing environments suitable for microgravity conditions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and spacecraft, as well as for harsh extraterrestrial environments such as the Moon and Mars. Participants will conduct ground-based experiments based on their feasibility.

Dr. Hiroshi Yamakawa, President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) (right in photo), and Mr. Ngiam Le Na, Chief Executive of the National Space Agency of Singapore (NSAS) (left in photo), signed and exchanged a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on space cooperation for peaceful purposes on July 6, 2026.

Through the conclusion of this MOC, the two space agencies will serve as hubs for promoting research and development as well as economic cooperation among a wide range of stakeholders, including private companies and universities. The MOC is expected to contribute to further strengthening space cooperation between Singapore and Japan.

JAXA has started accepting applications from teams to participate in the 7th Kibo Robot Programming Challenge (Kibo-RPC), which will be held from FY2026 to FY2027. Based on the English article content.

Kibo-RPC is a robot programming competition set aboard “Kibo,” the Japanese Experiment Module of the International Space Station (ISS). Participants develop programs to autonomously control an internal ISS robot and compete by completing assigned tasks as quickly and accurately as possible. In the 7th competition, participants will control JAXA’s Int-Ball 2 for the first time using the programs they develop.

Eligibility
Students up to graduate level from Kibo-RPC participating countries and regions, including Japan.

Application Period
July 6, 2026 – September 30, 2026, 23:59 (JST)

For details on the competition and how to participate, please refer to the web site below.

JAXA will provide the live coverage of the launch of H3 Launch Vehicle flight No.6, 30 configuration Test Vehicle.

Launch date : June 12, 2026
Broadcast start: 9:00 (JST)
Launch time: 9:53:59 (JST)
Launch site: JAXA Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC)
*The time is the 24-hour clock

The broadcast date and time are subject to change.

JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa and Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Director General Gay Jane Perez (Fourth person from the right in the photo) signed the Joint Declaration of Interest (DOI) on May 27, 2026.

The DOI was signed as one of the outcome documents during the state visit to Japan by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines (Seventh person from the right in the photo). In the DOI, the two agencies express their interest in initiating dialogue, based on the existing Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) signed in 2021, to explore possible areas of collaboration, including partnerships with Japanese industry.

Taking this signing as an opportunity, JAXA will deepen dialogue between the space agencies with the aim of promoting cooperation in the space sector between the Philippines, JAXA, and Japanese companies.

Aviation representatives from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the French Aerospace Lab (ONERA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) met in France in May 2026 for trilateral and bilateral meetings.

On May 13, the three organizations held the 20th DLR-ONERA-JAXA trilateral meeting in Modane, France, to promote research collaboration in the field of aeronautics. Prior to the trilateral meeting, ONERA and JAXA held a high-level bilateral meeting in Palaiseau, France, on May 11, reaffirming the importance of international cooperation in the field of aviation.

JAXA has concluded a “Modification to the Agreement between the Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, and JAXA on the Exchange of Satellite Data”.
The agreement was formally exchanged in the presence of Ms. Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan, who was visiting Viet Nam for the Japan–Viet Nam Summit Meeting, and H.E. Mr. Le Minh Hung, Prime Minister of Viet Nam. The exchange was conducted by Mr. Yasuo Ishii, Senior Vice President of JAXA, and Dr. Le Xuan Huy, Deputy Director General of VNSC.

On April 15, 2026, JAXA President Dr. YAMAKAWA Hiroshi and Dr. Marta Ewa WACHOWICZ, President of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) (on the right), signed the Joint Statement on POLSA-JAXA Potential Civil Space Cooperation. This Joint Statement was signed as one of the outcome documents marking the visit to Japan by Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland, and was also referenced in the Japan–Poland Leaders’ Joint Statement.
Taking this signing as an opportunity, JAXA will deepen dialogue with Poland—one of the countries in Europe experiencing notable growth in the space sector—to explore possibilities for future cooperation.
On the same day, JAXA Senior Vice President Mr. ISHII Yasuo (on the left) welcomed President Wachowicz to the Tsukuba Space Center, where they held a bilateral meeting and a tour of the facilities.

On March 26, Dr. ONODA Masami, Director of the International Relations and Research Department, received the “Award of the Embassy” from the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Japan.
This award is presented annually to an individual selected by the Embassy in recognition of their personal contribution to the progressive development of bilateral relations between Lithuania and Japan, as well as promotion of Lithuania in Japan.
The awards ceremony was held at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan in Ueno. Mr. SATO Toshiaki, Vice President of JAXA, attended the event on behalf of Dr. Onoda, and accepted the award from H.E. Dr. Aurelijus Zykas, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Japan.