One other considered one of JAXA’s predecessors, the Nationwide Area Growth Company of Japan, additionally dates again to the Nineteen Sixties however targeted much less on planetary exploration and extra on launch autos. It skilled astronauts, constructed satellites, and contributed a module of the Worldwide Area Station.
Mixed with the Nationwide Aerospace Laboratory of Japan, which was devoted primarily to aviation, these totally different establishments merged to grow to be JAXA. The brand new company centralizes Japan’s public analysis and growth of know-how associated to area infrastructure and science.