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| 種子島宇宙センター Tanegashima Uchū Sentā | |
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 Osaki range with theYoshinobu Launch Complex in the distance | |
| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 1969 (1969) |
| Headquarters | Tanegashima, Japan 30°24′00″N130°58′12″E / 30.40000°N 130.97000°E /30.40000; 130.97000 |
| Parent agency | JAXA |
| Website | global |
TheTanegashima Space Center[a] (TNSC) isJapan's primaryspaceport, covering approximately about 9.7 million square metres (2,400 acres; 970 ha).[1] It is located on the southeastern tip ofTanegashima, the easternmost of theŌsumi Islands, approximately 40 kilometers (25 mi) south of the major island ofKyushu.
The site was selected on May 24, 1966, and construction began later that year on September 17. Exactly two years later, on September 17, 1968, it hosted its first launch, a small rocket. The facility officially opened on October 1, 1969, coinciding with the establishment of its initial operator, theNational Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA).
Now operated by theJapan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) since its formation in 2003, TNSC is responsible for satellite assembly, as well as launch vehicle testing, launching, and tracking.
On-site main facilities include:[2]
Those facilities are used for performing operations from assembling launch vehicles, maintenance, inspections, final checks of satellites, loading satellites onto launch vehicles, rocket launches, and tracking launch vehicles after liftoff. The TNSC plays a pivotal role in satellite launches among Japan's space development activities.
Orbital launches take place from theYoshinobu Launch Complex, lifting off from its two launch pads:
The H-IIA first stage engine, theLE-7A, was test-fired at the Yoshinobu Firing Test Stand. Auxiliary buildings are in place for the assembly of new spacecraft and for radar and optical tracking of launched spacecraft.
The olderOsaki Launch Complex was retired in 1992. It was used for the launch and development ofN-I,N-II,H-I andJ-I rockets.
The Space Science and Technology Museum is near TNSC. It offers a view of rocket history and technology in Japan.
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency facilities | ||
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| Spaceports |  | |
| Research and testing | ||
| Tracking and communications | ||
Authority control databases: National |
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