JAXA

National aerospace research agency of Japan. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of three agencies, the oldest of which had functioned since 1955.

JAXA has been involved in probes to asteroids, the Moon orbiter Kaguya, which in October 2007 began a year-long mission, and numerous scientific and Earth-observation satellites. The agency is also responsible for the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo scheduled to be attached to the International Space Station in February 2008.