NEWTOWN, Conn. - Japan is working on the next satellite in its ASTRO series, known as ASTRO-H, which will explore the structure and evolution of the universe using X-rays. ASTRO-H is a multinational effort. JAXA has partnered with the Netherlands and NASA to develop the spacecraft. ESA and Canada will also participate, providing hardware and operations support in return for observation time using the satellite.
The spacecraft was originally scheduled to be delivered in 2013; however, the April 2011 earthquake and tsunami delayed delivery of the spacecraft. Then, in August 2012, a glitch on a NASA-supplied instrument was discovered. This pushed the launch date back even further. JAXA currently plans to launch the satellite in 2015.
Satellites will continue to be delivered under the ASTRO program. While JAXA's overall budget has been declining, the ASTRO program continues to meet its milestones, even if they are delayed. Helping to accomplish this goal is the fact that JAXA has spread out the cost of the program among partner nations. Even after ASTRO-H is delivered, new satellites will continue to be procured under the ASTRO program. The missions and launch dates of the future spacecraft remain speculative at this time.
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