Tanegashima Space Center
Japanese Space Rocket Launch Complex
Tanegashima Space Center is located in Minamitane, at the southernmost end of the island, off Kagoshima prefecture in Kyushu. Operated by JAXA, the facility by the ocean is home to a launching pad for Japanese space rockets. A museum and an observation platform are available for the public and astronomy amateurs.
Visite PT Nicolas, rédaction Marjorie à faire selon notes + trad avant 31/01/2025
Tanegashima Space Center is built on an island at the southernmost end of Kyushu, and is known as the most beautiful rocket launch site in the world. The facility, located a in very little urbanized area, is indeed blending in the tropical vegetation, surrounded by the ocean and a remarkable rocky coastline.
On a side note, Japanese visitors mainly consider Tanegashima Island as a seaside vacation destination, an ideal place for surfing or yoga practice, close to the mystical Yakushima island.
As big as 20 times Tokyo Disneyland (a very Japanese measure unit!), Tanegashima Space Center’s site at the southernmost end of the island was chosen for very specific reasons:
- On the geographical aspect, it is the closest place to the equator (and therefore to the stars) on the Japanese territory. The location thus helps save on fuel when launching a rocket into space.
- Being away from bigger cities and surrounded by the sea, Tanegashima offers an adequate safety level and allows to salvage rockets parts that could possibly fall into the ocean. Its location also help avoiding the disruption of commercial air traffic.
- Inaugurated in 1969, Tanegashima Space Center is located further from the American influence deployed in Okinawa archipelago since the end of WWII.
The center is operated par JAXA (formerly NASDA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and is the main launching site for Japanese satellites and rockets, the latter usually being smaller than the ones launched by other international space powers, like NASA or ESA.
Since 2023, the Space Center’s grounds is used to stage a light art festival called Space Art Festival in winter.
Jaxa Space Museum
Tanegashima’s space research and development museum is free and open to the public, especially to astronomy and space-related sciences enthusiasts. It showcases several interesting rocket parts, especially huge engines as well as various scraps collected after rocket launching.
An area is specifically dedicated to the ISS and to the Japanese astronauts who stayed there, including Akihiko Hoshide who was part of the SpaceX Crew-2 with Thomas Pesquet in 2021. A reconstitution of a module of the International Space Station is also accessible to visitors.
Most of the explanations are displayed in Japanese, but English speakers can scan a QR Code to download an English audio-guide.
Guided tour of the launch complex
In addition to the museum, we recommend the Space Center’s guided tour (upon advance booking). A bus ride navigates between the 3 following sites:
- Rocket Garage, as its name suggests, is home to a rocket that did not launch but was preserved and now displayed in its original condition. Fun fact: the engine of the rocket’s 1rst floor is powerful enough to move a Shinkansen on the distance Tokyo – Osaka.
- Yoshinobu Launch Complex for large-scale launch vehicles is the site’s launch-pad consisting of 2 ramps used according to the size of the spacecrafts to launch. It can be observed from an observation platform about 2 km away, along with a large warehouse (VAB) where space vehicles are assembled.
- Takesaki Range Control Center is one of the command and control rooms used by JAXA during launching. Extensive explanations are provided for every control device, and help imagining the stress and heavy atmosphere surrounding a launching operation. The main command and control center is located underground near the launch-pad and is not accessible to the public.
The guide also provides miscellaneous practical details on how a rocket launch is done, such as how the flames and smoke are diverted toward the ocean to preserve the island’s wildlife. Consequently, the environment around the pad is surprisingly in good shape, which adds to its reputation of the most beautiful rocket launching facility in the world. A water curtain sprinkling a ton of water per second is used to cool the gas, smoke and flame exhausts.
Usually, about 150 persons work full time at Tanegashima Space Center but their number increase up to 500 to 600 employees and managers during a rocket launch operation. The site is then closed to the public, but vantage points are available in the parks of Minamitane City to watch rockets fly to the stars.