Posted: Wed, Oct 1, 2003, 6:42 PM ET (2242 GMT)
Three separate Japanese government agencies devoted to space and aeronautics have officially merged into a single new agency. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) officially came into being on Wednesday. JAXA combines the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), Institute for Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), and the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL). The three agencies had largely separate missions, but with some overlap: both NASDA and ISAS developed launch vehicles, for example. The Japanese government hopes that by combining the three into JAXA it will be able to save money — an estimated $90 million a year, according to Reuters — and provide a more unified approach to space development.

Related Links:

•  Reuters article
•  Japan Today article
•  JAXA web site