The Present Status of Microgravity Science in Japan

Abstract

In this paper, a new Japanese space organization born in October 2003, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is briefly explained. In addition, a new scientific committee and its roles are described. Then, JAXA vision is introduced. The current status of flight projects in the fields of microgravity science and the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) is also described. Finally, the present activities of ground-based research for preparation of flight projects and some typical results of them are introduced.