“AKATSUKI” Message Campaign – Deadline for accepting messages extended

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has been holding the “AKATSUKI Message Campaign” in order to enhance people’s interest in Venus and to make people feel familiar with the Venus Climate Orbiter “AKATSUKI,” which is scheduled to be launched by the H-IIA Launch Vehicle in Japan Fiscal Year 2010. We have been receiving many messages so far, and we would like to extend the deadline by two weeks for accepting more names and messages. The following is updated information on the campaign. Please send us a message during your New Year holidays.

1. New deadline

We will accept your entries until January 10 (Sun.), 2010 (The deadline was originally December 25, 2009.)

2. Current status of received messages

Along with messages sent by individuals via the Internet, we have been accepting messages from groups including schools and classes. Scientific museums are also putting together messages from people. We have also received messages from some famous people such as Astronaut Koichi Wakata and his Space Shuttle crew (STS-127, Commander Mark Polansky, Mission Specialists Astronaut David Wolf and Thomas Marshburn), singer Ayaka Hirahara, cartoonists Reiji Matsumoto and Chuya Koyama (serial cartoon “Ucyu-Kyodai,” meaning Space Brothers, in the magazine “Morning” from Kodansha).

3. How to send a message

1) Via the Internet We are accepting messages from individuals only through the Internet. (Please note that postal mail, facsimile, and e-mail are not acceptable.) English website: http://www.jaxa.jp/event/akatsuki/index_e.html

You will be able to download a “certificate of participation to the campaign” when you send your name and/or message. It will be sent and shown only once, so if you want to keep it, please click the certificate to download it.

  • Only a name (without a message) is also acceptable.*
  • You can send a message in Japanese characters (Hiragana, Kanji, and Katakana) as well as using numbers and/or Roman letters. However, some letters (such as half-sized Katakana) or some PC specific letters may not be properly encoded on our side. Please refrain from sending such letters.
  • The International Year of Astronomy 2009 Japan Committee will be in charge of accepting names and messages, counting them, and protecting your private information.
  • Your message may be used on our Web site, leaflet, and/or magazines for the purpose of public affairs and promotion. Copyright of the messages basically belong to JAXA.

2) Those who are a group with a dozen members or more in Japan (such as a school, kindergarten, company, residents’ association, hobby club, science museum, or event organization team) can send a message via conventional postal mail. (*A group with less than 10 members can also send a message*.) Please write your message *as large and clearly as possible* within a limited paper size (A4). We also accept illustrations, but please remember that everything will be carved in black and white. Send your group name and a message *on an A4 size paper* (if your paper size is different, please make a contraction /enlargement copy to make it size A4) and write the following on the backside of the paper: the number of people in your group, the address, name, age, gender, telephone number, e-mail address of a representative of the group. (If no e-mail address is available, please send a postcard for a reply with your address and name and a 50-yen stamp on the front side). Send your message (and a reply postcard, if necessary) to the following address.

JAXA ISAS “AKATSUKI” Campaign Office 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 229-8510

  • We will e-mail you (or send a reply postcard back in the case you send it to us) to let you know that we have received your message.
  • We will not send you back your message. Your message and illustration may be used on our Web site, leaflets, and/or magazines for the purpose of public affairs and promotion. (Please refrain from sending any information, messages and/or illustrations that you do not want us to publish, such as personal information.) Copyright of the messages and illustrations basically belong to JAXA.
  • Please be aware that messages will be scaled down by a large percentage when they are printed on an aluminum plate to be aboard the satellite.
  • JAXA (ISAS) will be in charge of accepting names and messages from groups, counting them, and protecting your private information.

More information at http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/12/20091217_akatsuki_e.html

*For inquiries about this campaign*

JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) Research
Promotion Office,
Tel.042-759-8008 (or +81-42-759-8008)