Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
🔴 [Interview+] No YT ads. Bonus Part. FREE for everyone
patreon.com/posts/150441124
Japan’s space agency often flies under the radar, despite pursuing missions many larger agencies haven’t attempted. Like returning samples from Phobos or deploying a Toyota-built lunar rover. In this interview, we trace JAXA’s origins and the decisions that defined it.
🟣 Guest: Dr. Subodhana Wijeyeratne
subowijeyeratne.com
📚 The Islands and the Stars: A History of Japan's Space Programs
bdo.wfu.mybluehost.me/the-islands-the-stars
00:00 Intro
02:01 Researching JAXA
06:48 Star of Japan's space journey
16:05 Japan's first liquid fuel rocket
24:14 Japan's relationships with NASA and others
31:23 Lesser known projects
36:53 Dependency on the US
42:00 Excitement for the Future
44:41 Current obsessions
50:17 Final thoughts
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE NEWSLETTER
Read by 70,000 people every Friday. Written by Fraser. No ads.
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📩 CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
You are free to use my work for any purpose you like, just mention me as the source and link back to this video.
🔴 [Interview+] No YT ads. Bonus Part. FREE for everyone
patreon.com/posts/150441124
Japan’s space agency often flies under the radar, despite pursuing missions many larger agencies haven’t attempted. Like returning samples from Phobos or deploying a Toyota-built lunar rover. In this interview, we trace JAXA’s origins and the decisions that defined it.
🟣 Guest: Dr. Subodhana Wijeyeratne
subowijeyeratne.com
📚 The Islands and the Stars: A History of Japan's Space Programs
bdo.wfu.mybluehost.me/the-islands-the-stars
00:00 Intro
02:01 Researching JAXA
06:48 Star of Japan's space journey
16:05 Japan's first liquid fuel rocket
24:14 Japan's relationships with NASA and others
31:23 Lesser known projects
36:53 Dependency on the US
42:00 Excitement for the Future
44:41 Current obsessions
50:17 Final thoughts
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE NEWSLETTER
Read by 70,000 people every Friday. Written by Fraser. No ads.
Subscribe for Free: universetoday.com/newsletter
🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: astronomycast.com
📩 CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
You are free to use my work for any purpose you like, just mention me as the source and link back to this video.
![How Metamaterials Can Help Moon Rovers Survive Both Days and Nights [NIAC 2026]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bbJ3I37yS4o/mqdefault.jpg "How Metamaterials Can Help Moon Rovers Survive Both Days and Nights [NIAC 2026]
🔴 [Interview+] No YT ads. Bonus Part. FREE for everyone
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday/posts/165732395/
🟣 Guest: Dr. Austin Phoenix
https://nationalsecurity.vt.edu/personnel-directory/phoenix-austin.html
ORCID: 0000-0003-3265-2284
📜 ECLIPSE – Efficient variable Conductivity Lunar Insulator for Passive Surveyor Environmental control
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/eclipse-efficient-variable-conductivity-lunar-insulator-for-passive-surveyor-environmental-control/
👉 All 2026 NIAC Selections
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/niac-2026-selections/
The Moon is brutal. Its super hot during the day and super cold during the night. Most landers and rovers cant survive that swing. So, how do you mitigate it? One of this years NIAC projects has a potential solution.
00:00 Intro
01:04 Why is the Moon so terrible?
04:56 Mitigation strategies
30:33 Current obsessions
38:11 Final thoughts
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE NEWSLETTER
Read by 70,000 people every Friday. Written by Fraser. No ads.
Subscribe for Free: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://www.universetoday.com/podcast
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
📩 CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
You are free to use my work for any purpose you like, just mention me as the source and link back to this video.")
