[Interview+] How Japan Built Its Crazy Space Agency

Japan’s space agency often flies under the radar, despite pursuing missions many larger agencies haven’t attempted. Like returning samples from Phobos or deploying a Toyota-built lunar rover. In this interview, we trace JAXA’s origins and the decisions that defined it.

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_u9ZJBLCDBQ

🟣 Guest: Dr. Subodhana Wijeyeratne https://subowijeyeratne.com/

📚 The Islands and the Stars: A History of Japan's Space Programs https://bdo.wfu.mybluehost.me/the-islands-the-stars/

• 00:00 Intro
• 02:01 Researching JAXA
• 06:48 Star of Japan's space journey
• 16:05 Japan's first liquid fuel rocket
• 24:14 Japan's relationships with NASA and others
• 31:23 Lesser known projects
• 36:53 Dependency on the US
• 42:00 Excitement for the Future
• 44:41 Current obsessions
• 50:17 Final thoughts