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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency<\/p>\n
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\u2003On November 20, 2024, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) held
\n\t\tan Inter-Agency Meeting to discuss furthering their bilateral cooperation. In the meeting JAXA and ESA signed a
\n\t\tjoint statement on Next Big Cooperations between the two agencies.<\/p>\n
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Signers
Dr. YAMAKAWA Hiroshi, President of JAXA
Dr. Josef Aschbacher, Director General of ESA\n\t<\/p>\n
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\u00a9JAXA<\/p>\n
JAXA President Dr. Yamakawa Hiroshi<\/span> (Left) and ESA \t\t\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \t\t\t\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u2003On 20 November 2024, JAXA President, Hiroshi Yamakawa, and ESA Director General, Josef Aschbacher, held a \t\n<\/div>\n (Continuation, expansion, and deepening of the cooperative relationship between the agencies) \t\n<\/div>\n (Next big cooperation) \t\n<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\tDirector General Dr. Josef Aschbacher<\/span> (Right)\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\nJAXA-ESA Joint Statement on Next Big Cooperations<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tmeeting in Tsukuba, Ibaraki to discuss next big cooperative missions between the two agencies. On that occasion,
\n\t\tboth Heads of Agency confirmed the following:\n\t<\/p>\n
\u2003The Heads of the two agencies acknowledged the existing numerous cooperation activities between ESA and JAXA
\n\t\tthat have been carried out over many years based on a trusted and productive relationship. They confirmed that
\n\t\tsignificant results have been achieved through cooperation in the International Space Station (ISS) program and
\n\t\temphasized that cooperation on the Gateway program, a crewed space station orbiting the Moon, will play an important
\n\t\trole for future sustainable exploration. On-going joint missions such as
\n\t\tEarth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE)<\/b><\/span> launched in May 2024, an atmospheric observation mission measuring the structure of clouds, aerosols and
\n\t\tradiation that aims to contribute to efforts to tackle climate change issues, and BepiColombo<\/b><\/span>, a Mercury scientific
\n\t\tmission which is approaching the planet to study the origin and evolution of the planet closest to the Sun, are in
\n\t\toperation in space and already producing outstanding data. Both Heads confirmed that all existing cooperative
\n\t\tmissions are bringing significant benefits to the two agencies and to the societies as well as international
\n\t\tscientific community.\n\t<\/p>\n
\u2003The Heads of the two agencies recognized the importance of continuation and expansion of the bilateral
\n\t\tJAXA-ESA cooperation and shared common views of the necessity of seeking next big cooperative missions, which would
\n\t\tcontribute to the betterment of societies. The two agencies discussed and studied on potential big
\n\t\tcooperation missions for one year.
\u2003During the meeting, both Heads of Agency confirmed a path forward between the two agencies to build up these
\n\t\tbig cooperation missions, which is as follows;\n\t<\/p>\n\n
\n\t\t\t\tby the United Nations as the \u201cInternational Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence\u201d, recognized
\n\t\t\t\tsignificance to internationally promote their activities for Planetary Defence<\/b><\/span> that contributes to preparation
\n\t\t\t\tfor a potential threat by the near-Earth objects. ESA\u2019s Hera, the mission to a binary asteroid system for
\n\t\t\t\tplanetary defence and science, with JAXA\u2019s cooperation, was launched in October 2024 and is planned to reach the
\n\t\t\t\ttarget asteroid in 2026. Two agencies agreed to accelerate to study potential cooperation for ESA\u2019s Rapid
\n\t\t\t\tApophis Mission for Space Safety (RAMSES) which aims to explore the asteroid Apophis that will pass close to our
\n\t\t\t\tplanet on 13 April 2029, including but not limited to provision of thermal infrared imager and solar array wings
\n\t\t\t\tas well as possible launch opportunities.<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\tof Earth Observation<\/b><\/span> with the synergetic use of multiple missions and exploitation of data in support to climate
\n\t\t\t\tchange and recognized that the Greenhouse gases monitoring from space could contribute to producing trust
\n\t\t\t\tinformation on anthropogenic Greenhouse gases emission which is crucial for the society to take collective
\n\t\t\t\tactions to reduce the impacts of the climate change. Two agencies agreed to explore the possibility of a joint
\n\t\t\t\tmission for monitoring facility to city scale anthropogenic emissions to fill the observation gaps of current
\n\t\t\t\tand planned Greenhouse gases monitoring missions in the world.<\/li>\n\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tpursue joint efforts in expanding the economic sphere as well as bringing further scientific and societal
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tbenefits, meeting institutional needs and requirements in LEO after the ISS and leveraging on its heritage.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\texploration, considering their contributing elements to the overall Artemis architecture, including ESA\u2019s
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tcargo lander \u201cArgonaut\u201d and JAXA’s Pressurized Rover. Jointly conducting lunar analogue demonstration, using
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tESA LUNA facility, to support development of their operation scenarios on the lunar surface, will be a good
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tcandidate for cooperation. Further possibilities to be investigated relate to synergizing multiple robotic
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tmissions, including commercially provided opportunities by Japanese and European companies such as small
\n\t\t\t\t\t\trover opportunities with the aim of contributing to new scientific discovery as well as human exploration on
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe lunar surface, by leveraging expertise to be obtained by the planned missions including the Lunar Polar
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tExploration (LUPEX) Mission.<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tlunar communication and navigation capabilities, leveraging on Moonlight, in close coordination with NASA,
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tcontributing to joint Cis-lunar infrastructure supporting the sustainable lunar exploration.<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tleveraging each agency’s capabilities, such as electric propulsion, Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) system
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tenabling precise small-lander missions to Mars in the 2030s.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
\n\t\t\t\tMedium-class missions candidates M-MATISSE and Plasma Observatory presently under competitive study. The two
\n\t\t\t\tagencies support the continuation of the dialogue for a potential cooperation in the next Large mission in ESA\u2019s
\n\t\t\t\tScience Programme focused on the Moons of Giant Planets and for the JAXA-led LiteBIRD mission.<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/div>\n