The former name of Japan's national space agency which, on 1 October 2003, became the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) by merging with the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL). Established in 1969, it concentrated on the development and launch of communications and remote-sensing satellites, such as the Advanced Earth-Observing Satellite. It had also overseen the development of the H rockets.