Mission Hayabusa: Test your JAXA IQ

A word in blue text spelling "JAXA" sits on a black background
The logo for JAXA. (Image credit: JAXA via Wikimedia Commons)

Japan's space program has a way of surprising the world.

While some agencies dominate headlines with splashy launches, JAXA often works with a quiet precision that suddenly produces something extraordinary — a spacecraft touching down on an asteroid, a lunar lander executing a daring maneuver, or a new instrument revealing the universe in sharper detail. That combination of ambition and meticulous engineering has earned JAXA a reputation as one of the most innovative players in modern space exploration.

Whether you ace the quiz or learn something new along the way, you'll come away with a deeper appreciation for the ingenuity and determination that drive Japan's journey beyond our planet.

See how well you score below!

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Content Manager at Space.com. Formerly, she was the Science Communicator at JILA, a physics research institute. Kenna is also a freelance science journalist. Her beats include quantum technology, AI, animal intelligence, corvids, and cephalopods.

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