JAXA To Be Honored For Space Pioneering Successes

January 12, 2008

The Space Foundation will honor the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) with the 2008 John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration. This award honors the memory and enduring legacy of Apollo 13 astronaut and Colorado Congressman-elect Jack Swigert. The first international recipient of the Swigert award, JAXA will be recognized during the opening ceremony of the 24th National Space Symposium on April 7. The symposium, the premier annual gathering of the global space community, will take place April 7th through 10th at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. “JAXA’s remarkable accomplishments in pursuit of scientific discovery and exploration truly exemplify the spirit of Jack Swigert,” said Space Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Elliot G. Pulham. “JAXA continues to push the boundaries of human knowledge, opening doors of understanding and uncovering the mysteries of the universe. JAXA has quietly achieved extraordinary things, and is truly deserving of this award.” The 2008 Jack Swigert Award for Space Exploration is presented to JAXA for the design, development, launch, and operation of its pioneering fleet of space exploration spacecraft—Suzaku, Akari, Hinode, Hayabusa, and Kaguya. Collectively, these spacecraft have provided the world with groundbreaking scientific findings and pushed the boundaries of exploration. Their accomplishments include breakthrough discoveries about high-energy processes in the universe such as black holes and galaxy clusters; the origins of galaxies and planet systems; the solar corona and the sun’s impact on the Earth; greater insight into the makeup of asteroids; and providing the first high-definition television images of the moon and the Earth as seen from the moon—Colorado Springs, Colorado