Japan to launch two probes to the moon

Japan is moving closer to testing technology designed to generate solar power in space and transmit the electricity wirelessly to Earth, with researchers now conducting final checks on a flight model for an upcoming satellite experiment.

Fires involving lithium-ion batteries, including those used in mobile battery packs, are occurring at a record pace in Japan this year, with 179 incidents reported by the end of May, according to the Tokyo Fire Department.

JAXA successfully landed a small experimental vehicle for a reusable rocket on July 11, marking a step toward technology that could increase the frequency of space launches while helping reduce costs.

Japan is facing renewed questions over how to secure electricity while dealing with mounting nuclear waste, as power demand is expected to rise with the spread of generative AI and the government considers replacing as many as five nuclear reactors by the 2040s.

JAXA's Hayabusa2 probe made its closest approach to the asteroid Torifune on July 5, passing at high speed about 800 meters from the asteroid's center while conducting a flyby survey to examine its shape and surface materials.

A fossil discovered in Osaka has led to Japan’s first finding of its kind, raising the possibility that a giant marine predator believed to have swum in the seas around the Kansai region about 70 million years ago was a previously unknown species.

Researchers around the world are turning their attention to mitochondria, the energy-producing structures inside cells, as new discoveries suggest they may hold important clues to slowing aging, preventing disease and extending healthy life.

Strong earthquakes have continued to shake parts of Japan in recent weeks, with 11 temblors measuring lower 5 or above on the Japanese seismic intensity scale recorded across the country since April 2026.