International Space agency Science & Technology

JAXA was born from the merger of ISAS, NAL and NASDA

Background

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, was born through the merger of three institutions.
The three are the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan and the National Space Development Agency of Japan.
The short names of the three are ISAS, NAL and NASDA.
JAXA was designated a core performance agency, there to support the overall aerospace development and utilization of the Japanese government.
JAXA can therefore run integrated operations from basic research and development through to utilization.
JAXA created the corporate slogan Explore to Realize in 2013, at the 10th anniversary of its founding.
In April 2015 JAXA took the status of a National Research and Development Agency.

Corporate slogan: Explore to Realize Year the slogan was created: 2013 Status gained in April 2015: National Research and Development Agency One of the merged bodies: Institute of Space and Astronautical Science

Why it matters for exams: Which national bodies merged to form a space agency, and the agency's full name, are common science questions.

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13 November 2026 Source: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

In plain words

JAXA Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency — Japan's aerospace agency, formed by merging three institutions.

ISAS Institute of Space and Astronautical Science — One of the three bodies merged into JAXA.

NASDA National Space Development Agency of Japan — Another of the three bodies merged into JAXA.

Explore to Realize JAXA corporate slogan — The slogan JAXA created in 2013.