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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 January 2006
HALCA, the first dedicated satellite for space VLBI, was launchedin February 1997, and VSOP observations have been successfullyundertaken at 1.6 and 5 GHz. The near-future VSOP-2 mission isplanned to have frequency bands of 8, 22, and 43 GHz, with dualpolarization, a 1 Gbps downlink bit-rate, and a phase-referencingcapability. The mission proposal was submitted to ISAS/JAXA inSeptember 2003, with the earliest possible launch, if approved, in2012. There must be other missions farther into the future, and mmand sub-mm space VLBI must be realized as the ultimate highresolution imaging instrument over the electro-magnetic spectrum.ALMA and SKA can also play important roles for space VLBI.