Res Communis

Pacific Rim National Space Law Summit: Japan / 环太平洋国家空间法会议: 日本

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

Prof. Setsuko Aoki, Deptartment of Policy Management, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan presented Current Status and Recent Developments in Japan’s National Space Law and Its Relevance to Pacific Rim Space Law and Activities.

Prof. Aoki started with Japan’s space development and its characteristics. She noted that Japan became the 4th nation to join the space faring nations club in 1970, but that it did not have a basic space law until recently. She stated that this was due to the lack of commercialization of space activities. Japan’s interpretation of “peaceful uses” as nonmilitary made it difficult for Japan to develop an indigenous space industry. She also noted that a bilateral agreement controlling satellite procurement also made it difficult to commercialize. In this context, Aoki pointed out that there were generally three reasons that usually led to the adoption of space laws: 1) to implement international space law, 2) to promote space industry, and 3) to fill gaps in international space law. A Space law was not needed due to the insufficient commercial activities in Japan, according to Aoki.

She then gave brief overview of the structure of space policy development. From 1968 to 2001, Space Policy was made by Space Activities Commission (SAC) which was part of the Prime Minister’s Office, but in 2001 SAC was Made part of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). She also gave an overview of the current space management structure.

Next, Aoki stated that Japan was beginning to commercialize space activities. This began when the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) transferred the H-IIA rocket to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), and this made it apparent that Japan was in need of a basic space law, which led the drafting of a basic space. This law was adopted on May 21, 2008. Next she discussed the general content of the law by giving a brief overview of each chapter. She said that the first chapter of the law governs the purpose and general principles of space activities. She discussed in depth Article 2 which governs the peaceful purposes uses of outer space. She said that the article indicates that the non-aggressive use of outer space under the Outer Space Treaty, but that this principle is limited by the Constitution of Japan. Under Article 9 of the Constitution, Japan is allowed to develop the minimum capability for self defense. This differs from the previous state of the law in which Japan interpreted the meanig of peaceful purposes to mean non-military.

Finally, she explained that authorization and supervision regime in Japan that comes from SAC policy and other places. She stated that the regime for launches is sourced through a variety of different regulations and supplemented by launch guidelines that are available from SAC, but that the licensing of satellite activities are through the Radio Law. She said that problems with the system are illustrated in the case study of the transfer of H-IIA to MHI in which both JAXA and a private company are involved in the launch. In this situation she said that the authorization for the activities is presumed due to the relationship of the MHI to JAXA. While this may work in this instance, she noted that problems may occur when a purely private venture engages in space activities. However, the Basic Space Law requires further legislation to govern these space activities and this legislation is currently being drafted.

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Chinese translation by Ryan Grimm, J.D. Candidate, Tulane University:

环太平洋国家空间法会议: 日本

大会第二天的第二位发言人是来自日本东京庆应义塾大学政务学院的青木節子教授，其演讲的题目为“日本空间法的现状与最新发展及其与环太平洋空间法律和活动的相关性”。

青木教授首先介绍了日本的空间发展与特点。她说日本虽然在1970年就成为世界第四进入太空俱乐部的国家，但它最近才出台第一部基本空间法。造成这种状况的主要原因是日本的空间活动一直缺乏了商业化。此外，日本把“和平利用”理解为非军事利用，这种理解也阻碍了空间法在日本国内航天工业的发展。阻碍商业化的障碍还来自于日本与他国有关采购卫星管制的双边协定。综上所述，青木教授认为有三个原因可促使一个国家建立空间法—-其一为执行国际空间法，其二是为促进航天工业的发展，其三是为了弥补国际空间法的漏洞。总而言之，她认为商业化的贫乏导致了日本不活跃的空间活动，也正是由于日本空间活动的不活跃，就造成了出台基本空间法的不必要性。

接下来青木教授简短地介绍了日本的空间政策机构的发展, 自1968至2001年, 空间政策由首相办公室属下的宇宙开发委员会(SAC)制定，但自2001年起，该委员会转到文部科学省(MEXT)的隶属之下。之后，她谈到了空间管理机构的现状。

随后，青木教授把话题转到日本空间活动的商业化，并将其转变的根源归为宇宙航空研究开发机构(JAXA)把H-IIA火箭交给三菱重工业公司去制造的结果，因为只有在此条件下，日本当局才终于发现日本的确缺少一部基本空间法，而这一发现理所当然地促进该法的起草。日本的空间法是于2008年五月九号通过的，该法的第一节规范了空间活动的目的与基本原则，青木教授针对其中和平利用太空一条做了详细介绍，此节中的第二条提到了《外空条约》中的有关非侵略性利用空间原则，但此原则是受到日本《宪章》的约束的，而《宪章》第九条却允许日本发展最低自卫能力，青木教授认为对此条的理解应尽量避免出现那种日本以前把和平利用跟非军事利用混为一谈的曲解。

最后青木教授对日本的来自宇宙开发委员会与其它机关的许可及监督制度进行了解释。她说尽管由不同条例以及宇宙开发委员会所提供的发射指南规范发射活动，但是卫星活动许可证由《无线法》制定的。青木教授以日本政府宇宙航空研究把H-IIA火箭交给三菱重工业制造为例，证明此项制度所造成的问题是：现在H-IIA火箭的发射过程中由政府的宇宙航空研究开发机构与私营企业同时参与，正是由于宇宙航空研究开发机构的参与，因而该项活动被推测为具备许可资格。而单纯由私营集团举办的空间活动，就会被认作不具备许可资格。日本的基本空间法为了规范上述的私营空间活动还需要更多的立法弥补漏洞，据青木教授可知，这种立法正在起草中。