ALOS (Advanced Land Observation Satellite) is used for cartography, regional observation, disaster monitoring, and resource surveying. ALOS has three remote-sensing instruments: - the Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping (PRISM) for digital elevation mapping with 2.5 meter resolution, - the Advanced Visible and Near Infrared Radiometer type 2 (AVNIR-2) for precise land coverage observation with 10 meter resolution, and - the Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) for day-and-night and all-weather land observation. ALOS transmitts its data via the DRTS (Kodama) satellite. The ALOS was launched by an H-2A-2022 launch vehicle from the Tanegashima Space Center. ALOS as been given the nickname Daichi. Five minutes after spacecraft separation, ALOS began to unfurl its 72-foot solar array that will provide electrical power to the craft throughout its mission. Six cameras are on-board to visually verify the correct deployment of the solar panel and various instrument antennas. ALOS lost all power on 22. April 2011, thus ending the mission.

The H-IIA rocket family is an expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The liquid fuelled rocket has been used to launch satellites, lunar spacecraft and planetary science craft.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is Japan's national aero-space agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003. JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and the launch of satellites into orbit, and is involved in many more advanced missions, such as asteroid exploration and possible manned exploration of the Moon. JAXA launch their Epsilon vehicle from the Uchinoura Space Center and their H-II vehicles from the Tanegashima Space Center.