Cosmos

What are we up to at ISAS?

A fresh view: interning at a space agency

For two weeks in August, the JAXA Space Education Center welcomed two internship students from masters programs in Leiden and Tokyo to see first-hand how international collaboration, research and education is tackled on the JAXA Sagamihara Campus. At the end of their visit, what was their impression of working life at the space agency?

How to carry an asteroid around the world

"It was very early in the morning when I approached the airport customs desk, cradling a protective black box in my arms. Nestled inside the fitted foam interior were two tiny grains as old as the Solar System itself." Elizabeth Tasker describes the journey to have grains from asteroid Ryugu displayed in the UK and France.

20 minutes of terror: SLIM will attempt a pinpoint accurate landing on the lunar surface

The SLIM mission is about the launch and head to the Moon! But how is SLIM different from previous lunar landers, and what does the mission plan to achieve?

Global Space News: Of comets and asteroids

Recently imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope, Comet Read is a comet that orbits in the asteroid belt. Our researchers discuss this interloper to the asteroid population.

Global Space News: A surprising tail for Phaethon

Asteroid 3200 Phaethon is a near-Earth asteroid that thinks it’s a comet. But the tail Phaethon emits has been observed to consist of sodium and not the expected dust. Our researchers discussion the importance of this find.

The sample from asteroid Ryugu: summary early 2023

On March 20, the extraterrestrial curation team pulled off the protective overalls that guard against any Earthly contamination entering the laboratory, and joined leaders of the mission and initial analysis teams in the ISAS Communication Hall. It has been just over two years since the Hayabusa2 spacecraft returned a sample from asteroid Ryugu to Earth. The teams were together to present a summary of the findings to date.

The search for the ultimate answer
After 42 years at NASA, Jim Green describes the driving force behind the phenomenal progress in space science

"It’s been 42 years. I had to make sure it was 42, because that’s the answer!"

The JUICE Mission: Japan joins ESA to head to the icy moons

On April 13, the JUpiter ICy moon Explorer (JUICE) is set to launch to the icy moons of the Solar System's largest planet. JUICE is an ESA-led mission, with strong involvement from Japan. Let's take a look at the mission and the onboard instruments Japan has helped to develop.

Global Space News: JUICE is preparing to launch!

On April 13 2023, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission is scheduled to launch. JUICE is an ESA-led mission with strong involvement from Japan. Hear from our researchers as 10 years of preparation comes to head!

Global Space News: One year of #WebbWOW

It is said that you cannot recapture the childhood magic of Christmas. But any astronomer watching the skies on December 25 in 2021 will beg to differ. Because the most powerful space telescope ever constructed was about to launch. Our researchers take us through the first year of Webb.

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