NASDA is Japan's National Space Development Agency, one of the two main bodies in the country concerned with space activities. The other is the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). Whereas ISAS is concerned with the field of space science, NASDA is responsible for the practical applications of space, including communications, weather forecasting and remote- sensing. NASDA was set up in October 1969. The Tanegashima Space Centre, on the island of Tanegashima in the extreme south of Japan, went into operation in the same year. It is now Japan's largest launch complex. Satellites are launched from the Osaki launch site, rockets from the Takesaki site farther south. The Tsukuba Space Centre is located in Tsukuba Science City north of Tokyo. Its major roles include the research and testing of launch vehicles and satellite guidance, control and tracking.
