Editing JAXA (section)

=== 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}}