Space & Aeronautics

The last of the Kounotori unmanned cargo vessels ended its final mission Thursday as it burned up while re-entering the Earth's atmosphere after transporting supplies to the International Space Station, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has said.

Japanese heavy machinery maker IHI has developed a satellite engine that will sell for one-third of the competition's prices, in hopes of tapping growing demand for low-cost space launches for GPS-based services, particularly among startups.

Japanese startup ispace has launched a data service aimed at helping companies pursue business opportunities on the moon, part of the lunar rover developer's aim to become a "gateway" for commercial space activities.

Sony Corp. said Wednesday that it will develop a satellite jointly with the University of Tokyo and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA.

Japanese researchers have developed a new method for predicting large solar flares, which may lead to better space weather forecasts and prevent disruptions to satellites and communications networks on Earth.

A Japanese research team has announced the discovery of traces of the largest impact craters in the solar system on a moon of Jupiter.

Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide will head to the International Space Station next spring aboard a spacecraft developed by U.S. aerospace manufacturer Space X and become the second Japanese national to serve as a commander of the ISS, the nation’s space agency said Tuesday.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology signed a joint declaration with NASA on Friday to cooperate in the U.S.-led Artemis manned lunar probe project.

A giant meteor shower bombarded Earth and the moon 800 million years ago with more than 30 times the force of the asteroid strike that killed the dinosaurs, new research showed Tuesday.

A Mars-bound spacecraft will soon launch from Japan, part of a historic mission that, if successful, will showcase the reliability of the country's space exploration technology and serve as a springboard for its own mission in 2024.