EXPRESS : Experiment Re-entry Space System
The development of EXPRESS was started in 1990 as the first Japanese-German joint space program for the purpose of microgravity experiment and autonomous reentry, and was launched on January 15, 1995 by a M-3SII No.8 rocket from the Kagoshima Space Center in Japan.   However, the EXPRESS’s capsule was not injected into the planned orbit due to rocket malfunction, and it had been found in Ghana, Africa instead of planned landing place, Woomera, Australia. Outline of system    Total Weight : 765kg (incl. experiments 130kg)                        -Service Module 360kg                        -Re-entry Module 405kg    Heat Shield : Ablator    Attitude Control : 3-Axis Control    Payload Power : Continuous 92W, Peak 400W    Experiments : Microgravity Experiment
-Crystalgrowth of catalyst for refining petroleum (NEDO/USEF)         Re-entry Experiments             -Re-entry Experiment (ISAS)             -High performance material experiment (NEDO/RIMCOF)             -Ceramic tile experiment (Germany)             -Pyrometric re-entry experiment (Germany)             -Rarefied flux experiment (Germany)