Posted: Wed, Nov 10, 2004, 7:02 PM ET (0002 GMT)
The head of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has resigned, citing health issues, the agency announced this month. In a statement dated November 5, but not released for five days, outgoing JAXA president Shuichiro Yamanouchi said that "physical reasons" required him to step down, but did not elaborate. Yamanouchi had led JAXA since its formation in October 2003 with the merger of three separate agencies; he had led one of those agencies, NASDA, since mid-2000. Yamanouchi will be replaced by Keiji Tachikawa, who had been a senior vice president at telecommunications company NTT DoCoMo. Tachikawa's appointment becomes effective on November 15.

Related Links:

•  Space News article (subscription required)
•  JAXA press release