The Japanese Experiment Module, a.k.a. きぼう (Kibō), on the International Space Station.
TheNational Space Development Agency of Japan (宇宙開発事業団,Uchū Kaihatsu Jigyōdan), orNASDA, was a Japanese nationalspace agency established on October 1, 1969 under the National Space Development Agency Law only for peaceful purposes. Based on the Space Development Program enacted by theMinister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), NASDA was responsible for developing satellites and launch vehicles as well as launching and tracking them.
The first launch vehicles of NASDA (N-I,N-II, andH-I) were partially based on licensed technology from the United States, particularly theDelta rocket family. TheH-II was the first liquid fuel rocket to be fully developed in Japan.
Hideo Shima, chief engineer of the originalShinkansen "bullet train" project, served as Chief of NASDA from 1969 to 1977.[1]
SL-J was partially funded by Japan through NASDA; this cooperative Japanese-American mission launched a NASDA astronaut into Earth orbit using theSpace Shuttle in 1992.[2]
