Japan and NASA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for Japan to participate in Space Station Freedom with a Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). This agreement set the program direction for developing a long-duration laboratory that would later become Kibo on the ISS.
Under the earlier international framework for a permanently manned civil space station, the 1988 agreement entered into force between the United States and Japan. This helped stabilize the legal and program foundation for Japan’s JEM work through design, development, and future operations.
The International Space Station (ISS) Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) was signed by the partner governments, including Japan. The IGA created the main legal framework for how ISS elements would be built, owned, operated, and used—supporting long-term use of Japan’s future Kibo laboratory.
JAXA began a “total system test” at Tsukuba Space Center by connecting Kibo components to check performance as a single integrated module. This step helped verify readiness for later launch processing and on-orbit assembly.
JAXA carried out an interface test between Kibo’s Inter-orbit Communication System (ICS) and the ground station that works through Japan’s data-relay satellite “Kodama” (DRTS). This helped validate the communications chain needed for commanding Kibo and returning experiment data to Earth.
Space Shuttle Endeavour’s STS-123 mission delivered the Experiment Logistics Module–Pressurized Section (ELM-PS), the first major Kibo element launched for ISS assembly. This storage and transfer area helped prepare the station to receive Kibo’s main laboratory module and equipment racks.
Space Shuttle Discovery’s STS-124 mission delivered Kibo’s main Pressurized Module (PM) and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System (robotic arm). With this flight, the core laboratory for experiments in microgravity arrived at the ISS for installation and activation.
Space Shuttle Endeavour’s STS-127 mission delivered Kibo’s Exposed Facility (EF) and the Experiment Logistics Module–Exposed Section (ELM-ES). This expanded Kibo from an internal lab to a combined internal-and-external research platform, enabling experiments to be placed directly in the space environment.
Japan launched its first H-II Transfer Vehicle, HTV-1 (“Kounotori”), as a new way to deliver cargo to the ISS. After berthing, HTV-1 supported Kibo operations by delivering equipment and enabling transfers that helped sustain experiments and maintenance.
During HTV-1 operations, the ISS robotic arms handed off an exposed pallet so instruments could be installed on Kibo’s Exposed Facility. Notable early external payloads included JAXA’s SMILES and NASA’s HREP, showing that Kibo could support research outside the station’s pressurized volume.
CubeSats were deployed from Kibo using the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD), which transfers satellites through Kibo’s airlock and releases them using Kibo’s robotic arm. This created a repeatable path for small satellites to reach orbit without requiring a spacewalk.
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and JAXA started KiboCUBE to give more countries a chance to deploy CubeSats from the ISS via Kibo. The program linked Kibo’s on-orbit capabilities to international capacity-building in space technology.
Kibo’s routine operations became sustained, with JAXA’s Kibo Control Room supporting astronauts and payloads while coordinating with other ISS control centers. This ground segment enabled continuous monitoring, commanding, and anomaly response to keep experiments running over long periods.
By the late 2010s, CubeSat releases from Kibo had become a regular service supporting universities, agencies, and international programs. Continued deployments demonstrated Kibo’s role as both a research lab and a practical “space access” platform for small satellites.
By 2024, Kibo had moved from early international agreements and system testing into a long-running operational phase, supporting internal microgravity experiments, external payloads, and satellite deployments. This sustained use reflects Kibo’s core legacy: a Japanese-built laboratory fully integrated into ISS operations and international research.
Kibo Laboratory: Japanese Experiment Module Development, Launch, and Operations (1992–2024)