Assessment of Aerospace Technology in Japan Viewed from an American Perspective

This is an assessment of Aerospace Technology in Japan, the national vision supporting it and the strategy underlies it's ultimate purpose. It includes a comparison of the organizations and missions of the two principle aerospace agencies: One, the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS); and, two, the National Space Development Agency (NASDA). Included are the launch capabilities and deep space facilities of ISAS, at Kagoshima Space Center (KSC) in Uchinoura on Kyushu island; and the NASDA Tanegashima Space Center (TSC) on Tanegashima Island.

Also included are the design and development history of domestic Nippon launch and space vehicles, beginning with the licensing of the United States Thor-Delta rocket technology and including the design of the domestic H-I second and third stages and the all domestic H-II vehicles. Included in this essay are overviews of H-I and H-II launch vehicles during assembly at the Oye and Oye West Plants of Nagoya Aircraft Works, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. ISAS and NASDA have placed more than 40 satellites in orbit since the start of the Japanese space program.