http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/index.shtml http://xxx.lanl.gov/PS_cache/astro-ph/pdf/0611/0611232v1.pdf Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) was a Japanese national research organization of astrophysics using rockets, astronomical satellites and interplanetary probes. ....The first Japanese astronomy mission was x-ray satellite Hakucho (Corsa-B), which was launched in 1979(Institute of Space and Astronautical Science ).In 2003, three national aerospace organizations including ISAS were merged to form Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The English name Institute of Space and Astronautical Science ... Since the launch of Hakucho in 1979, ISAS had X-ray astronomy satellites consecutively in orbit, until it was briefly terminated by the launch failure of ASTRO-E. .In 2000 the Astro-E launch failed (with the satellite falling into the ocean), so a replacement called Astro-EII was launched on July 10, 2005. Astro-EII has high spectroscopic resolution together with a very wide energy band, ranging from soft X-rays up to gamma-rays .This launch was important for JAXA, because in the five years since the launch failure of the original ASTRO-E satellite, Japan was without an x-ray telescope..JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution through the merger of three previously independent organizations.

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