Editing JAXA (section)

== Lunar and interplanetary missions ==
Japan's first missions beyond Earth orbit were the 1985 [[Halley's comet]] observation spacecraft [[Sakigake]] (MS-T5) and [[Suisei (spacecraft)|Suisei]] (PLANET-A). To prepare for future missions, ISAS tested Earth swing by orbits with the [[Hiten (spacecraft)|Hiten]] lunar mission in 1990. The first Japanese interplanetary mission was the Mars Orbiter [[Nozomi (probe)|Nozomi]] (PLANET-B), which was launched in 1998. It passed Mars in 2003, but failed to reach Mars orbit due to maneuvering systems failures earlier in the mission. Currently interplanetary missions remain at the ISAS group under the JAXA umbrella. However, for FY 2008 JAXA is planning to set up an independent working group within the organization. New head for this group will be [[Hayabusa]] project manager Kawaguchi.<ref>[http://ilwsonline.org/china_jaxa.pdf Agency's Report from ISAS/JAXA to ILWS WG meeting] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107214927/http://ilwsonline.org/china_jaxa.pdf |date=7 January 2016 }}, [[Living With a Star]], 23 July 2006</ref>{{update inline|date=October 2018}}

'''Active Missions:''' [[PLANET-C]], [[IKAROS]], ''[[Hayabusa2]]'', [[BepiColombo]], [[Smart Lander for Investigating Moon|SLIM]]<br />
''' Under Development:''' [[Martian Moons Explorer|MMX]], [[DESTINY PLUS|DESTINY<sup>+</sup>]]<br />
'''Retired:''' [[PLANET-B]], [[SELENE]], [[MUSES-C]],  [[Smart Lander for Investigating Moon|LEV-1, LEV-2]]<br />
'''Cancelled:''' [[LUNAR-A]]

=== Small body exploration: ''Hayabusa'' mission ===
{{See also|Hayabusa|Hayabusa2}}
[[File:Hayabusa hover.jpg|thumb|''[[Hayabusa]]'']]
On 9 May 2003, ''[[Hayabusa]]'' (meaning [[Peregrine falcon]]), was launched from an [[M-V]] rocket. The goal of the mission was to collect samples from a small [[near-Earth asteroid]] named [[25143 Itokawa]]. The craft [[space rendezvous|rendezvoused]] with the asteroid in September 2005. It was confirmed that the spacecraft successfully landed on the asteroid in November 2005, after some initial confusion regarding the incoming data. ''Hayabusa'' returned to Earth with samples from the asteroid on 13 June 2010.

Hayabusa was the world's first spacecraft to return asteroid samples to Earth and the world's first spacecraft to make a round trip to a celestial body farther from Earth than the Moon.<ref name="mainichi240722">[https://web.archive.org/web/20240219022008/https://mainichi.jp/articles/20220722/k00/00m/040/027000c 次に目指す高みとは…はやぶさ2が切り開いた宇宙開発の未来／下.] [[Mainichi Shimbun]]. 24 July 2022</ref>

Hayabusa2 was launched in 2014 and returned samples from asteroid [[162173 Ryugu]] to Earth in 2020.<ref name="mainichi240722"/>

=== Lunar exploration ===
{{Main|Japanese Lunar Exploration Program}}
[[File:Selene.gif|thumb|''[[SELENE|Kaguya]]'']]
After [[Hiten (spacecraft)|Hiten]] in 1990, JAXA planned a lunar penetrator mission called [[LUNAR-A]] but after delays due to technical problems, the project was terminated in January 2007. The seismometer penetrator design for LUNAR-A may be reused in a future mission.

On 14 September 2007, JAXA succeeded in launching the lunar orbit explorer ''[[SELENE|Kaguya]]'', also known as SELENE, on an [[H-2A]] rocket (costing 55 billion yen including launch vehicle), the largest such mission since the [[Apollo program]]. Its mission was to gather data on the [[Moon#Formation|Moon's origin and evolution]]. It entered lunar orbit on 4 October 2007.<ref>{{Cite press release|url=https://www.jcnnewswire.com/?aspxerrorpath=/Article.Asp|title=JCN Newswire &#124; Asia Press Release Distribution|website=www.jcnnewswire.com|accessdate=20 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6994272.stm|title=Japan launches first lunar probe|work=BBC News | date=14 September 2007}}</ref> After 1 year and 8 months, it impacted the lunar surface on 10 June 2009 at 18:25 UTC.

JAXA launched its first lunar surface mission [[Smart Lander for Investigating Moon|SLIM]] (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) in 2023. It successfully soft landed on 19 January 2024 at 15:20 UTC, making Japan the 5th country to do so.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/01/19/japan-slim-lunar-lander-touches-down-on-moon.html | title=Japan announces successful SLIM lunar landing, fifth country to reach moon's surface | website=[[CNBC]] | date=19 January 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Chang |first=Kenneth |date=2024-01-19 |title=Japan Becomes Fifth Country to Land on the Moon |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/01/12/science/japan-moon-landing-slim |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> The main goal of SLIM was to improve the accuracy of spacecraft landing on the Moon and to land a spacecraft within 100 meters of its target, which no spacecraft had achieved before. SLIM landed 55 meters from the target landing site, and JAXA announced that it was the world's first successful "pinpoint landing.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240130141641/https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20240125/k10014333951000.html 月面探査機 JAXA 世界初の「ピンポイント着陸」に成功と発表.] [[NHK]]. 25 January 2024</ref> Although it landed successfully, it landed with the solar panels oriented westwards, facing away from the Sun at the start of [[lunar day]], thereby failing to generate enough power.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Chang |first1=Kenneth |last2=Ueno |first2=Hisako |date=January 25, 2024 |title=Japan Explains How It Made an Upside-Down Moon Landing |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/science/japan-moon-lander-slim.html |access-date=February 21, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> The lander operated on internal battery power, which was fully drained that day. The mission's operators hope that the lander will wake up after a few days when sunlight should hit the solar panels.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last1=Sample |first1=Ian |date=2024-01-19 |title=Japan's Slim spacecraft lands on moon but struggles to generate power |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/jan/19/japan-slim-spacecraft-lands-on-moon-but-struggles-to-generate-power |access-date=2024-01-20 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Two rovers, LEV 1 and 2, deployed during hovering just before final landing are working as expected with LEV-1 communicating independently to the ground stations.<ref name=":8" /> LEV-1 conducted seven hops over 107 minutes on the lunar surface. Images taken by LEV-2 show that it landed in the wrong attitude with loss of an engine nozzle during descent and even possible sustained damage to lander's Earth bound antenna which is not pointed towards Earth.<ref name="youtube.com">{{Citation |title=小型月着陸実証機（SLIM）および小型プローブ（LEV）の月面着陸の結果・成果等 の記者会見 | date=24 January 2024 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U61i0wN01Uk |access-date=2024-01-25 |language=en}}</ref>  The mission was considered fully successful after confirmation that its primary goal, landing within {{cvt|100|m}} of the target was achieved, despite subsequent issues.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Andrew |date=2024-01-22 |title=Japan's moon lander forced to power down but may yet be revived |url=https://spacenews.com/japans-moon-lander-forced-to-power-down-but-may-yet-be-revived/ |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=SLIM Project Press Kit |url=https://global.jaxa.jp/countdown/slim/SLIM-mediakit-EN_2308.pdf |website=JAXA}}</ref><ref name="youtube.com"/>

On 29 January, the lander resumed operations after being shut down for a week. JAXA said it re-established contact with the lander and its solar cells were working again after a shift in lighting conditions allowed it to catch sunlight.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68125589 |title=Japan: Moon lander Slim comes back to life and resumes mission |date=29 January 2024 |access-date=2024-01-31 |via=www.bbc.com}}</ref> After that, SLIM was put into sleep mode due to the approaching harsh [[lunar night]] where temperatures reach {{Convert|-120|C|F}}. SLIM was expected to operate only for one lunar daylight period, which lasts for 14 Earth days, and the on-board electronics were not designed to withstand the nighttime temperatures on the Moon. On 25 February 2024, JAXA sent wake-up calls and found SLIM had successfully survived the night on the lunar surface while maintaining communication capabilities. At that time it was solar noon on the Moon so the temperature of the communications equipment was extremely high, so communication was terminated after only a short period of time. JAXA is now preparing for resumed operations, once the temperature has fallen sufficiently. The feat of surviving lunar night without a [[Radioisotope heater unit]] had only been achieved by some landers in [[Surveyor Program]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Last night I sent a command and got a response from SLIM. SLIM successfully survived the night on the lunar surface while maintaining communication capabilities! Last night, as it was still midday on the moon, the temperature of the communication equipment was extremely high, so communication was terminated after only a short period of time. From now on, preparations will be made so that observations can be resumed once the temperature has fallen sufficiently. |url=https://twitter.com/SLIM_JAXA/status/1761973417820238275 |website=X ( Formerly Twitter)}}</ref>

=== Planetary exploration ===
[[File:Akatsuki-1.jpg|thumb|''[[Akatsuki (spacecraft)|Akatsuki]]'']]
Japan's planetary missions have so far been limited to the [[Solar System#Inner Solar System|inner Solar System]], and emphasis has been put on [[Magnetosphere|magnetospheric]] and atmospheric research. The [[Mars]] explorer [[Nozomi (spacecraft)|Nozomi]] (PLANET-B), which ISAS launched prior to the merger of the three aerospace institutes, became one of the earliest difficulties the newly formed JAXA faced. Nozomi ultimately passed 1,000&nbsp;km from the surface of Mars. On 20 May 2010, the [[Venus]] Climate Orbiter ''[[Akatsuki (spacecraft)|Akatsuki]]'' (PLANET-C) and [[IKAROS]] solar sail demonstrator was launched by a [[H-2A]] launch vehicle.

On 7 December 2010, Akatsuki was unable to complete its Venus orbit insertion maneuver. Akatsuki finally entered Venus orbit on 7 December 2015, making it the first Japanese spacecraft to orbit another planet, sixteen years after the originally planned orbital insertion of Nozomi. One of Akatsuki's main goal is to uncover the mechanism behind Venus atmosphere's [[Atmosphere of Venus#Circulation|super-rotation]], a phenomenon in which the cloud top winds in the troposphere circulates around the planet faster than the speed that Venus itself rotates. A thorough explanation for this phenomenon has yet been found.
 
JAXA/ISAS was part of the international [[Europa Jupiter System Mission – Laplace|Laplace]] [[Jupiter]] mission proposal from its foundation. A Japanese contribution was sought in the form of an independent orbiter to research Jupiter's magnetosphere, [[Jupiter Magnetospheric Orbiter|JMO]] (Jupiter Magnetospheric Orbiter). Although JMO never left the conception phase, ISAS scientists will see their instruments reaching Jupiter on the ESA-led [[Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer|JUICE]] (Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer) mission. JUICE is a reformulation of the ESA [[Ganymede (moon)|Ganymede]] orbiter from the Laplace project. JAXA's contribution includes providing components of the RPWI (Radio & Plasma Wave Investigation), PEP (Particle Environment Package), GALA (GAnymede Laser Altimeter) instruments.

JAXA is reviewing a new spacecraft mission to the Martian system; a sample return mission to [[Phobos (moon)|Phobos]] called [[Martian Moons Explorer|MMX]] (Martian Moons Explorer).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/06/10/national/science-health/jaxa-plans-probe-bring-back-samples-martian-moons/|title=JAXA plans probe to bring back samples from moons of Mars|date=10 June 2015|access-date=31 August 2018|via=Japan Times Online|archive-date=24 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424122437/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/06/10/national/science-health/jaxa-plans-probe-bring-back-samples-martian-moons/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/j/isasnews/backnumber/2016/ISASnews418.pdf#page=3 |title=ISASニュース 2016.1 No.418 |publisher= [[Institute of Space and Astronautical Science]]|date=22 January 2016 |access-date=2016-02-04 |language=ja}}</ref> First revealed on 9 June 2015, MMX's primary goal is to determine the origin of the [[Martian moons]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Torishima |first=Shinya |date=19 June 2015 |title=JAXAの「火星の衛星からのサンプル・リターン」計画とは |url=http://news.mynavi.jp/series/jaxa_mars/001/ |language=ja |newspaper=Mynavi News |access-date=2015-10-06 }}</ref> Alongside collecting samples from Phobos, MMX will perform [[remote sensing]] of [[Deimos (moon)|Deimos]], and may also observe the [[atmosphere of Mars]] as well.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cps-jp.org/~tansa/pub/2015/2015-08-27/10_imamura/src/20150827_10_imamura.pdf |title=高時間分解能観測がひらく火星ダスト・水循環の科学 |publisher=Center for Planetary Science |date=28 August 2015 |access-date=2016-02-04 |language=ja}}</ref> As of December 2023, MMX is to be launched in fiscal year 2026.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mmx.jaxa.jp/en/|title=MMX – Martian Moons eXploration|author=<!--not stated-->|date=26 December 2023|website=JAXA.jp|publisher=Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency|access-date=4 January 2024|quote=The current schedule has a launch date in JFY 2026, followed by Martian orbit insertion in JFY 2027 and the spacecraft will return to Earth in JFY 2031.}}</ref>

{{See also|BepiColombo}}

=== Solar sail research ===
{{See|IKAROS}}
[[File:IKAROS solar sail.jpg|thumb|[[IKAROS]]]]
On 9 August 2004, ISAS successfully deployed two prototype [[solar sail]]s from a sounding rocket. A clover-type sail was deployed at 122&nbsp;km altitude and a fan type sail was deployed at 169&nbsp;km altitude. Both sails used 7.5 [[micrometre|micrometer]]-thick film.

ISAS tested a solar sail again as a sub-payload to the [[Akari (satellite)|Akari]] (ASTRO-F) mission on 22 February 2006. However the solar sail did not deploy fully. ISAS tested a solar sail again as a sub payload of the [[Hinode (satellite)|SOLAR-B]] launch at 23 September 2006, but contact with the probe was lost.

The [[IKAROS]]  solar sail was launched in May 2010 and successfully demonstrated solar sail technology in July. This made IKAROS the world's first spacecraft to successfully demonstrate solar sail technology in interplanetary space. The goal is to have a solar sail mission to Jupiter after 2020.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131017010726/https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDG06041_W2A201C1CR8000/ イカロス、世界初の宇宙ヨットでギネス認定.] Nikkei. 6 December 2012</ref>