NASDA is an
acronym for National Space Development Agency,
Japan's space agency. It was founded in 1969 and is now headquartered in
Tokyo's
Hamamatsu-cho. Its main
launch site is on
Tanegashima, an island just off the southern coast of
Kyushu in
Kagoshima Prefecture.
Tracking centers are located at
Katsuura,
Masuda, and
Okinawa, and main research facilities at the Science City of
Tsukuba. Much of their research and development is performed by the
University of Tsukuba.
Along with NASA, ESA, and RKA, NASDA is one of the world's most prominent developers and operators of launch vehicles, having developed and launched the H-I, H-II, HOPE-X, J-1, N-I, N-II, and TR-IA rockets.
NASDA will also operate the Kibo experiment module on the International Space Station, to be launched in four stages between 2004 and 2006.