[Feature: Questioning Japan's Space Strategy] Roundtable: How to Open Up "Humanity's Frontier"

Since the Third Basic Plan on Space Policy in 2015, we have seen the enforcement of the Remote Sensing Act (Act on Ensuring Appropriate Handling of Satellite Remote Sensing Records) in 2017, and the full enforcement of the Space Activities Act (Act on Launching of Artificial Satellites and Management of Artificial Satellites) in 2018. Conditions are now in place for business development by private companies. At the same time, the security environment in Japan and the world has changed drastically, and the need for security cooperation using outer space is increasing. Based on this situation, I would like today's roundtable discussion to question Japan's future space strategy.

From the perspective of "space as a place that creates safety and wealth, a frontier for humanity," I believe many countries, including Japan, have come to position space within their national strategies.

Currently, space has become a crowded area due to an increase in the number of active countries and entities, including not only large corporations but also small and medium-sized enterprises and universities, leading to an increase in space debris and a tightening of available frequencies. There are no traffic rules in space like there are for land, sea, and air. Although space is vast, precious orbits are limited, and the necessity for navigational rules, similar to those for the sky and sea, is being recognized.

Furthermore, space is a field that began with military use, and it remains a venue for military competition between major powers today. What has changed, however, is that based on the dual-use nature of space technology, privately operated satellites are being widely used for military purposes. On the other hand, there are also situations where technology that began with military use has spun off into the private sector, creating new industries.

Security, military, business, and exploration are all closely interrelated in space. While there are high expectations for future trends, there are also anxieties regarding military use and pollution. In this context, what kind of space development and utilization should Japan aim for to achieve national safety and security, improve the welfare of its citizens, and contribute to the world?

It is fair to say that Japan's current space development and utilization began with the enactment of the Basic Space Act in 2008. The Basic Space Act was enacted as legislator-initiated legislation. Mr. Kawai, as someone who worked hard to enact this law, could you look back on the situation at that time?

In February 2005, the launch of the H-IIA Rocket No. 7 was successful. The previous No. 6 had failed, so it was the first success in a year and three months. At the time, I was serving as the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs in the second Koizumi Reshuffled Cabinet. I went straight to Tanegashima immediately after returning from a business trip to Guinea. I saw the sight of a successful rocket launch for the first time in a long while.

In the book "Space Strategy as a Nation" (2006), which Ms. Aoki co-authored, I wrote about my impressions while watching that launch: "Ah, the childhood of Japan's space development has ended."

I was instructed by the LDP to draft the "Basic Space Act" that was passed in 2008, and I came up with "Five Principles" for how Japan should approach space development. The first principle is to contribute to diplomacy. The second is utilization for security. The third is industrialization. The fourth is providing dreams and inspiration to the public. The fifth may seem a bit detached from reality, but it is to contribute to the evolution of humanity as a species. These are the "Five Principles."

The background for coming up with "contributing to diplomacy" was my questioning of the fact that, at the time, there was almost no perspective from space development or science and technology when creating Japan's foreign policy. So, during my term as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, I added an item to the revision of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) Mid-Term Plan to utilize Japan's advanced scientific and technological power. Specifically, this meant making the launching of artificial satellites eligible for ODA.

Also, since 1993, the "Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF)" has been hosted by MEXT and JAXA. As if to counter this, in 2005, the signing ceremony for the China-led "Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO)" was held in Beijing. China clearly positions scientific and technological assistance within its diplomatic strategy. With the national policy of "Strengthening the Country through Science," they have placed the promotion of science and technology as the most important issue of national administration and have been intensively investing all of the country's resources.

Turning to our country, at that time, space development and utilization were viewed only in the context of research and development. Researchers and engineers worked diligently on research, and factory workers demonstrated craftsmanship in manufacturing. In this way, we achieved world-class results comparable to the US, Russia, and Europe. However, there was no grand objective of a national strategy or Japan's overall national interest that transcended the individual interests of companies or workplaces.

So you set diplomacy as a goal.

Yes, that's right. The second is the contribution to security. In August 1998, a Taepodong missile flew from North Korea. At the time, I was a first-term member of the House of Representatives. Senior members of the so-called defense tribe were of the opinion that we should buy proven American-made satellites. But I argued that information-gathering satellites must be able to be used primarily for Japan's national interest, completely and without restriction, anytime and anywhere. I appealed that if satellites purchased with tax money for the safety of Japan were foreign-made, we could not explain it to the taxpayers.

Then, with my fellow first-term colleagues, we launched a campaign to "launch domestic information-gathering satellites with domestic rockets." We went around to LDP members of both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors to collect signatures of support, took them to the Prime Minister's Official Residence, and handed them directly to Mr. Hiromu Nonaka, who was the Chief Cabinet Secretary. Ultimately, a political decision was made to launch domestic information-gathering satellites with domestic rockets.

Six information-gathering satellites are currently in operation, but I remember advocating at the time that we should increase the system to 16 satellites in the future. By evolving Japan's "eyes" so that we can see whatever we want, whenever we want, it also becomes easier to obtain classified information from allies. I established a cross-ministerial "Study Group on the Modality of Space Development and Utilization" in the Vice-Minister's office. When I reached out to the Defense Agency (at the time), I was told, "Our office does not have a department in charge of space, so we cannot send anyone." That was the atmosphere back then.

Regarding the third point, industrialization, at that time, attention was focused on the GX rocket and the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System.

Now, in October 2000, I had the opportunity to observe the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery with Koichi Wakata on board in Florida. It was a truly beautiful launch, and I was deeply moved to see it being absorbed into a beautiful, cloudless sunset. It was a launch with a scale and power completely different from Japan. And I "discovered" that in the US, rocket launches are a form of entertainment and a means of bringing the people together.

Fourth, I felt it was important to provide dreams and inspiration to the public—a new form of national prestige through space development and utilization.

Therefore, in order for Japan to realize manned spaceflight, I proposed that Japan develop another large-scale launch base, a spaceport, in addition to Tanegashima, and have the US, Australia, and Asian countries participate as well.

Finally, I believe that in the process of evolution, humanity is destined to eventually advance into outer space. Just as fish and amphibians advanced onto land in ancient times, our generation is now in the era of establishing a foothold for humanity to soar into space. I believed that Japan should play an active role for that purpose. As described above, I advocated the "Five Principles."

The "Basic Space Act" also included things that have now been realized, such as the establishment of the Minister of State for Space Policy within the Cabinet Office.

I recall the atmosphere full of hope at that time.

The Quasi-Zenith Satellite "Michibiki" is now a four-satellite system, and service began last November. Mr. Takada, from your position as the top official in charge of space development and utilization, how do you view the current status of space development and utilization, as well as future trends in business utilization?

The National Defense Program Guidelines were revised last December, and Japan has begun preparations for space, the cyber domain, and so on. Ten years after the Basic Space Act was created, we are finally able to establish such a positioning. In other countries, it was rather natural to use such domains for defense, but Japan has finally changed.

In terms of conducting space development based on practical use, the development of the first Quasi-Zenith Satellite demonstrator "Michibiki" began in 2006, and in 2018, the four-satellite system was completed and service began. Since Michibiki is a practical satellite, we must make it useful for the lives of the citizens. Also, since Michibiki provides positioning signals, there are potential international uses, and there are talks about cooperating with India and the EU.

If the period up to the resumption of rocket launches in 2005 was the childhood, then since the enactment of the Basic Space Act, we have finally entered adolescence and adulthood. If we don't work hard here, the gap with other countries might widen, so I feel we must tackle this firmly.

In this context, Mr. Ishida, who is involved in a wide range of work in the private space business domain, what are you currently focusing on and what activities are you engaged in?

As expected, with the creation of the Basic Space Act in 2008 and the flow of moving within the three pillars of security, industrial promotion, and science and technology, I feel that the Japanese space business has rapidly gained momentum over the last five years or so. I believe the challenge is whether this excitement can generate many concrete businesses and develop as an industry.

On the other hand, looking at the world, SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk in the US and a symbol of the space business, was established in 2002. Blue Origin, created by Jeff Bezos, was founded in 2000. Bezos became Time magazine's Person of the Year as the CEO of Amazon in 1999. The year after he emerged in the world as an IT billionaire, he founded a company to do space business. There is a gap of more than 10 years between the Japanese timeline and the American timeline, and aligning the two is very suggestive.

The commercialization of the space industry itself has been progressing mainly in Europe since the 80s, but I think it was the US after 2000 that created the current trend. In the US, regarding the International Space Station program and the Space Shuttle program after the Apollo program, there were people who felt a sense of chagrin—why had NASA returned to the vicinity of Earth after reaching the Moon? Those people have become today's space entrepreneurs.

After the retirement of the Space Shuttle, the government faced the challenge of establishing its own means of space transportation. On the other hand, entrepreneurs with a spirit of wanting to do space transportation appeared from the private sector, bringing with them the financial power and new digital technologies generated by the IT bubble. A successful example is the cargo transport service to the International Space Station handled by SpaceX.

Most of the new space-related companies created in the early 2000s were rocket or transportation-related. However, as the innovation in means of transport to space began to become visible, the space business has been expanding to include small satellite businesses, satellite data utilization businesses, and more recently, space travel and various experiments and services in orbit.

I personally want to contribute to the development and expansion of new space businesses in this transitional space industry. As a management consultant, I support problem-solving for related companies and government policy considerations. I also engage in cross-industry activities, such as launching Japan's first private space business conference, "SPACETIDE," in 2015, with the aim of expanding recognition and promoting the space business as a whole.

I think it is difficult for universities to start with transportation systems, but last week (January 18), Keio's ultra-small satellite was also launched by Epsilon. That was a first for Keio (see frontispiece).

Mr. Jinmu, you are involved in space utilization from the standpoint of research and education. How do you view the current situation?

Before the H-IIA No. 6 that Mr. Kawai mentioned earlier, there was a major launch failure with the H-II Rocket No. 8 in 1999. At that time, I was in charge of rocket development, so I joined the deep-sea investigation to search for that rocket's engine. Around that time—20 years ago—in today's JAXA (then the National Space Development Agency of Japan), it was a world where "space development is all about whether you can launch a rocket." It was an era of just trying to launch rockets reliably.

At that time, the National Space Development Agency was a corporation under the jurisdiction of the Science and Technology Agency, and the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science was a research institute under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education. The keyword "industrialization" hardly existed; discussions centered on research and development, and people were hesitant to even say the word "business."

Later, a team led by Professor Shinichi Nakasuka of the University of Tokyo succeeded in launching the world's first ultra-small satellite in 2003, but even then, it was an experimental satellite as part of research and education. Things have changed in many ways now.

In Japan's space development today, the Cabinet Office oversees everything. We are in an era where the exchange of people and information between JAXA and the Ministry of Defense is commonplace, and satellites are normally used for security and disaster prevention. Furthermore, as satellites and rockets become more sophisticated yet commoditized, the role that universities can play has expanded. Various universities are already launching satellites, and we are in an era where building a satellite is no longer that special.

What we must do from now on is to think about and execute how to create industries and enrich society using them. Artificial satellites, which play an important role in the IoT society, have come to play a role as global sensors. I feel that the positioning of space development has changed over these 20 years.

Mr. Takada, I believe you are playing various leadership roles in industrialization as well. What is the current status of industrialization?

There is a report titled "Space Industry Vision 2030" summarized about two years ago. The current scale of our country's space equipment industry and space utilization industry is about 1.2 trillion yen, but the goal is to double this by the early 2030s.

This includes, for example, acquiring launch services for foreign satellites, having Japan enter the foreign communication satellite market, or further expanding space utilization using remote sensing and positioning fields, not just communications and satellite broadcasting.

Furthermore, it is said that space utilization will become even more closely linked with social activities using big data and AI. Since the capabilities of Japan's space field are highly reliable internationally, I would like to extend that further.

Looking at the statistics in the "State of the Satellite Industry Report 2018," the scale of the global space industry market is about 26 trillion yen. Unlike Japan, this includes ground equipment, launch services, and the satellite manufacturing industry, so a simple comparison is not possible. However, looking at the GDP ratio, I think there are areas where Japan can capture more.

The space equipment industry is currently about 350 billion yen, but the ratio of government demand is high. Last year's government space budget was over 300 billion yen, with many parts involving launching rockets or developing satellites. I believe it is important to see how much we can grow purely private-sector demand.

Globally, there are examples where a single company owns a launch site and builds small rockets. For example, Rocket Lab in the US owns its own launch site on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand and has obtained permission from the New Zealand government to launch once every 72 hours.

As a business, I feel that space business services are increasing—not just building and operating rockets and satellites themselves, but also proposing business plans for various activities utilizing orbits and providing legal assistance for obtaining frequencies and activity permits.

Now, there is talk of the commercialization and privatization of the International Space Station after 2024, and there are American companies thinking of building a small space station, the Aurora Station, to host space tourists. Are there fields where Japan can have hope as a business?

I see the space business as having six segments. One is so-called launching. Then the business of building satellites. The business of utilizing them on the ground. Services for creating various things or conducting scientific experiments in orbit. Businesses related to people, such as space travel and stays. Finally, deep space exploration and development. I believe Japan has potential in all of them.

There are about 30 companies trying to start new space businesses in Japan. It is said there are about 1,000 in the US and 80 to 100 in China. Due to the difference in the scale of the underlying industries, the number is small compared to the US and China, but I think a major characteristic of Japan is that there are many unique companies in each segment even from a global perspective.

In manufacturing, small-scale items are strong in various fields. It was a Japanese company that built the world's smallest rover, and there are Japanese companies building ultra-small satellites and small rockets. What supports Japanese manufacturing companies is often the skillful techniques of people in so-called downtown factories. The technological strength and foundations cultivated in other industries are Japan's strengths.

Also, in fact, in terms of the number of investors who have invested in new space businesses over the past 10 years, the US is first and Japan is second. In particular, there are about 70 companies in Japan that have invested in the past four or five years, but the largest number are investments by companies unrelated to space. For example, airlines, trading companies, electronics manufacturers, and automobile manufacturers—companies listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange that have not been involved in space until now.

Moreover, such companies possess elemental technologies, production technologies, operational know-how, and services used in ground industries. By investing and injecting such assets into the space field, there is a possibility of creating various new services. This is a major characteristic not found in other countries, and I think there is a possibility that the Japanese space industry will become very strong in the future.

Japan's emerging space companies are also quite blessed in terms of funding. For example, looking at companies like ispace, there are many investors trying to invest in dreams and possibilities.

I wrote the draft of the Basic Space Act in 2006, but in the 10 years since my first election to the House of Representatives in 1996, everyone in the space industry was an older man. Now, as is the case with Mr. Ishida, the number of young people has truly increased, and it's so much fun to listen to them. Until then, there were many people from traditional, heavy-industry large corporations. So to speak, "Old Space" (laughs).

What I am consciously trying to interact with now are the so-called "New Space" people. These are space ventures started by one or a few individuals. They have graduated from educational institutions in the West, can speak foreign languages, and are very excellent and capable people entering the space field. HAKUTO is one example, and there is also a movement to use suborbital flights to connect the US and Asia and build a spaceport in Japan.

Because those people are excellent, they don't necessarily have to do space work, and despite the risks of challenging new space work, they are entering this field one after another.

If I were to categorize them, would what Mr. Ishida mentioned be the third category, "Other Space"? Major Japanese companies are entering from different industries. I hope that "Old Space," "New Space," and "Other Space" are now cooperating with each other to create a new Japanese space industry culture.

In such a situation, human resource development is indeed important.

The graduate school I belong to is the Graduate School of System Design and Management (SDM), which opened 10 years ago. Many people from the space industry have enrolled and graduates have found employment there. For example, the project manager for the H3 rocket and the project manager for the climate change observation satellite "Shikisai" (GCOM-C) are individuals who obtained their doctorates at the SDM.

An interesting recent trend is that people from "Other Space" are enrolling because they want to enter the space industry. Although they have little knowledge about space, they are thinking about how the things they have been considering fit into the space industry. Unlike 10 years ago, it is now possible to do things like launching a satellite you built yourself on a rocket or doing something using space data immediately, even at a university.

A good thing about space technology is that satellites can be utilized across borders, so what works well in Japan can be expanded overseas relatively quickly. Therefore, in my laboratory, we are proceeding with research and development and commercialization of services related to agriculture, urban development, and finance together with governments and companies in Southeast Asian countries. More than 10 projects are underway, and I travel overseas about twice a month with students of various nationalities.

If people are not developed, the industry will not grow, and if the industry does not grow, people will not be developed. So I intend to strengthen the mechanism and dynamically advance human resource development and industry creation as two wheels of the same carriage.

Among the graduates of Mr. Jinmu's laboratory, there are those who were doing space debris removal, and Self-Defense Force officers who are pursuing the optimal solution for the civilian and security use of Space Situational Awareness (SSA).

The former is Ms. Satoko Otsuka, who is sometimes called the mother of the robotic arm for Japan's space station, and she is researching the utilization of space robots at NEC. For space debris removal, Ms. Otsuka conducted research that incorporated not only technology but also international rules and business concepts, and was awarded a doctorate.

The latter is Mr. Yasuo Otani of the Ministry of Defense's Air Self-Defense Force. Mr. Otani is conducting research on system design for appropriately performing dual-use within limited resources for the SSA that Japan plans to operate in earnest, and is scheduled to be awarded a doctorate soon.

I believe research and education are very important, including encouraging a complementary relationship where "New Space" and "Old Space" grow alongside "Other Space" and all three parties become energetic.

Space began with security and is a very important place for security. As the deepening of the Japan-US alliance progresses, how is space as a venue for security currently advancing?

In international politics, it has been said since ancient times that those who rule the land rule the world. Later, it was said that those who rule the sea rule the world, and further, those who rule the air rule the world. And now, it has become that those who rule outer space and cyberspace rule the world. I believe China is the one trying to faithfully advance this strategy.

In the six years since the second Abe administration was inaugurated, I have traveled to Washington, D.C. 33 times. In the last year or two, I have felt firsthand in the US that the perception of the threat from China has become very strong across party lines.

I meet closely with former White House Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon, and when I met him in D.C. the week before last, he had an extremely harsh view of China. Until now, currency at the Treasury Department and intellectual property at the Commerce Department were the negotiation issues with China, but he emphasized that the "strongest office," the Department of Defense, has newly listed China as its top priority. He shared a story that on the first day Acting Secretary of Defense Shanahan went to the office after Mr. Mattis's resignation, he stated, "The Department of Defense has three priorities: first, China; second, China; and third, China." This story spread throughout Washington, D.C. within the day.

According to the latest report released by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) on January 15, there is a sense of crisis regarding China in the space field, stating that it "tested an anti-satellite missile system in 2014 and may now be researching and developing anti-satellite lasers." It lists eight fields that China aims to develop in the future, two of which are space-related: hypersonic missiles and space systems.

The Trump administration instructed the Department of Defense to create a Space Force last June. Originally, the Department of Defense and the Air Force were opposed to the creation of a Space Force because it would cost money. However, my friend Mike Rogers, Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, and others played a central role in urging President Trump and Vice President Pence to create a Space Force, and the decision was made by the White House to create it.

While some point out that the US and China may have entered a "new Cold War" structure, space is becoming one of the main battlegrounds. Naturally, the Japan-US alliance is the cornerstone of Japan's security, so Japan must also coordinate with the US and deal with this firmly. In that flow, advancing various new security initiatives is the way to protect Japan's peace and independence.

In that flow, Japan participated in the Schriever Exercise for the first time last year, didn't it?

Schriever is the name of the person who laid the foundation for the US space forces. This exercise is called the Schriever Wargame, and in Japanese, it is introduced as the Schriever Multilateral Tabletop Exercise. This is exactly a tabletop exercise, and since about 18 years ago, the so-called Five Eyes—the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia—have been conducting the exercise once a year. It's a kind of scenario exercise. Three years ago, Germany and France were invited, and last year, Japanese officials were invited and participated for the first time. In the scenario, each is assigned a role and they conduct a simulated exercise.

The Schriever Wargame is truly a gathering of security officials, but last year marked the fifth U.S.-Japan Comprehensive Dialogue on Space. The word "comprehensive" is attached because science and technology, security, and industrial utilization are integrally and closely connected in space. Various departments involved in space from Japan and the US gather in one place, and while switching for each agenda, they discuss everything from science and technology to security and exchange opinions on each other's situations. It is a dialogue where the possibility of collaboration becomes very visible.

Another country that has a comprehensive framework is France. France is also a country that puts a lot of effort into space. Two years ago, the French side said they wanted to further advance cooperation on Space Situational Awareness, and we are working in the direction of strengthening cooperation together with MEXT and the Ministry of Defense.

Cooperation in the space field is discussed through various channels, such as summit diplomacy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and MEXT. As the situation surrounding space is changing, I think these comprehensive dialogues are an expression of the determination to capture space from multiple perspectives and engage in dialogue as a nation.

Another important thing in the US is that the "National Space Council (NSpC)" was revived in June 2017. It was established in 1988 under the Reagan administration but had been effectively suspended since 1993. It was revived with the combination of Vice President Pence as Chairman and Dr. Scott Pace, who is of Japanese descent, as Executive Secretary.

The first meeting was held last October with Vice President Pence in attendance. In his speech, the Vice President expressed a sense of crisis that Russia and China are aiming to complete anti-satellite technology, and emphasized that the US must take leadership in the space field again.

Specifically, what kind of international cooperation in the security field is being conducted between Japan and the US? One is Space Situational Awareness (SSA), and the other is Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA). Space Situational Awareness refers to monitoring the status of space debris and artificial satellites from the ground. Regarding this, the US Strategic Command quickly provides detailed information to Japanese satellite operating agencies such as JAXA and the Japan Meteorological Agency. On the other hand, JAXA provides information on space debris to the US Strategic Command, and in the future, the Ministry of Defense is to develop and provide its own radar.

The other, Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), involves looking at the status of ships at sea with multifaceted "eyes" such as aircraft, high-altitude balloons, and artificial satellites. However, it is not yet clearly visible who will handle the overall coordination and command and control for this.

In space, the boundary between security and safety is sometimes ambiguous, which leads to the necessity of Space Traffic Management (STM). Within the new gathering of private sector people called CONFERS, how is STM being considered?

CONFERS is something like a working group hosted by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) in the United States, and it focuses on what is known as on-orbit servicing. In Japan, debris removal is gaining attention, but globally, on-orbit servicing is discussed as a collection of diverse services, including not only debris removal but also conducting various experiments in orbit, manufacturing various things, and refueling in geostationary orbit.

I believe that discussions on future on-orbit services are arising from various perspectives, such as the various technological developments led by DARPA, the industrialization of technologies cultivated on the International Space Station, the growing discussion regarding STM, and the movement of mega-constellation (giant communication satellite network) plans.

DARPA and private companies do not actually have the function of creating rules or laws. However, they bring together best practices toward such rule formation and consider technical and operational standards while determining how far technology can go as something that can actually be used in the world. I understand that CONFERS is carrying out the first stage of activities to create such an industry.

How does the industry side view the role of security agencies?

I think there are about three roles. First, I think it is significant that they can set the objectives for advanced technological development. For example, about 10 years ago, DARPA held the Urban Challenge for autonomous driving, and Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University won. All those Stanford members are now part of Google's self-driving car team. The Carnegie Mellon team became a space venture called Astrobotic, which is challenging how to use that logic for the automatic control of landers.

Security agencies themselves handle many operations, and I believe the function of posing questions for the next era is one role expected by the private sector.

Second, since the presence of security agencies in outer space is very large, they are naturally necessary as dialogue partners to create rules and regulatory environments for building such markets.

Finally, the total U.S. space budget is about 4 trillion yen, and the reality is that the Department of Defense budget is larger than NASA's. In fact, in the U.S., even small space ventures have sales to the Department of Defense. From the perspective of private companies, I think they also play the role of a customer with high demand.

So, it's about proposing to the government how regulations should be so as not to hinder private activities. What is the perspective from a researcher's standpoint?

Recently, efforts in the space industry and security efforts have become closer, but in Japan, it is not yet easy for educational and research institutions to be directly involved in security research, and I think it is necessary to think and discuss carefully. For example, if the Ministry of Defense were to conduct something like a DARPA challenge, it is still difficult to say whether universities would be happy to take on the challenge.

As Mr. Ishida mentioned, security is also a place to cultivate advanced technology, so it is important to clarify the mechanism, transparency to the public, and where and how the technology will be used. Since the technology required for security and space technology are inseparable, I feel that doing that properly will also become a place to create new technology.

On the other hand, for example, a team of our graduate students participated in the Hyperloop competition, a next-generation transportation system challenge started by Elon Musk. They were the only university from Asia to make it to the final stage and came back after shaking hands with Elon Musk. I feel it would be interesting if Japan could hold a competition and present attractive missions that people from all over the world would want to challenge.

Regarding space exploration, Japan is of course involved in the operation of the International Space Station until 2024, and I believe there are various other manned and unmanned exploration plans. How will things proceed from here?

In terms of business scale, one thing that should be considered separately in space exploration is the International Space Station. This costs a large amount of money, and astronauts are there right now.

Another is the "Gateway Concept (Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway (LOP-G))" proposed by the United States. This is something the U.S. began proposing around the time the International Space Exploration Forum (ISEF2) was held in Tokyo in March last year. The idea is to create modules in lunar orbit rather than Earth orbit—imaging something about one-sixth the size of the International Space Station—and to do this through international cooperation.

And as an extension of that, the U.S. is thinking of putting "American astronauts on the Moon" again. There may be a possibility that Japanese people involved in international cooperation will also land on the Moon. The U.S. wants to complete the modules for this in 2026 and is currently in multilateral discussions.

I would definitely like Japan to be actively involved in realizing this Trump administration "Gateway Concept" and the manned spaceflight to Mars that lies beyond it.

First, there is the issue of what to do with the framework after the International Space Station. Currently, it is being done by Japan, the U.S., Russia, the European Space Agency, and Canada, but I would definitely like a coalition of the willing, such as India and Australia, to join as well. However, since the U.S. is the world's largest space power, things will not move forward unless they lead with a sense of responsibility and duty. Japan plays an important role in encouraging that.

In Japan, the "Gateway Concept" is referred to as the "Manned Outpost Near the Moon," and one of the areas where Japanese companies excel is water. Another is transportation, and perhaps rovers. I believe it is absolutely important to promote the participation of Japanese private companies, including "Old," "New," and "Other." And in the future, I definitely want Japanese astronauts to land on the Moon. And one day, it is my dream to see the Hinomaru (Japanese flag) shining on the chest of an astronaut going to Mars.

Recently, China landed on the far side of the Moon for the first time, which even the U.S. has not reached. I don't know what kind of activities they actually performed, but they are clearly working on lunar and deep space exploration as part of a long-term plan, so I think Japan should also move forward firmly.

However, manned activities involve risks and, of course, cost money. An annual budget of 300 billion yen is not enough. What I am always told when talking to people in the space industry is that they want the national space budget to be increased further.

Suppose we prepare a national budget for space of about 1 trillion yen per year; the question is where to find the funding. I believe we should more boldly invest national resources, including special revenue sources, into space development and utilization.

I think there are three types of exploration. One is scientific exploration. I think this is something that the government will lead.

Another is exploratory activities that include national presence and related security. Why is China going to the far side of the Moon at this timing? It might be for national prestige, presence, or perhaps interests in resources sleeping on the Moon. I think this is also something the government leads.

The third, which is starting to be led by the private sector, is no longer just the word "exploration," but activities to create an era where many people go to space and expand human civilization into space. I think the interest of such people is rooted in the desire to "create an era where many people can go to space."

The reason for this may be a pure spirit of inquiry—the desire to go—or a problem-solving approach to improve the global environment and increase human sustainability by going out into space as human energy consumption continues to increase as an environmental issue.

The biggest challenge is transportation systems. I think the biggest milestone in space events in 2019 is whether SpaceX and Boeing can transport astronauts to the space station. I think this is a major demonstration of whether private companies can transport people beyond suborbital to orbital. In addition to transportation systems, there is a demand for building bases and infrastructure for people to live in space, creating environments for food, clothing, and shelter, and various robot technologies, and I think there are many things Japan can contribute to the world.

The talk of making the space budget 1 trillion yen is not that simple, but to do so, it is important to create a movement that gains public empathy. I think such a movement will not happen unless people can empathize with what lies beyond the hard work of building rockets or what is being done on the space station.

With rocket technology somewhat established and options increasing, it will also be important to invest more in what to do after going to space and create value at the destination.

And I feel there is an approach to show a goal, such as Japan being ready to do that, gain understanding from related parties, and encourage investment.

While saying there are various problems in space, talking about it is dreamy and fun, isn't it?

I think the future space industry is an industry with possibilities not only for new entrants but also for those who have led this industry until now.

In the U.S., there is a focal point of NASA, security, and new billionaires, and everyone gathers there; I think it's a somewhat easy-to-understand community. But in Japan's case, there is government, private sector, large companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, and people like "Other Space," and I feel there is a lot of diversity.

This is a form that doesn't exist in Europe, the U.S., or China, so there is a lot of fun in creating it from now on. And I think that once it is built, a new space industry community unique to Japan, unlike anywhere else in the world, will be formed.

Doing something because it's interesting is a strength of Japan, isn't it?

In line with the Basic Space Law of 2008, while creating the Basic Space Plan, it became possible for government offices such as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to see what each other is doing. In terms of cooperation within that, we have moved toward more efficient utilization within budget constraints, such as trying to mount test sensors from the Ministry of Defense on satellites from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

In the future, I think it will be very important to gather the total strength of Japan as a whole—not just the government and related companies, but also young people and people who have had nothing to do with space until now—into this frontier of space and see how to extend Japan's strengths. Right now, various people are entering, and that is becoming a strength.

Many Japanese space entrepreneurs were born around 1979. Apparently, Gundam was born in 1979 (laughs). For some reason, there are a lot of entrepreneurs around 40 years old in the Japanese space industry.

The person from ALE (artificial shooting stars) was also of that generation.

That's right. I have done consulting for various industries such as the automobile industry and the machinery/electronics industry, and these industries have supported Japan in terms of employment, tax revenue, and Japan's presence. They are inheriting and maintaining industries created by people two or three generations ago during the post-war reconstruction across generations.

However, I personally have a desire to create an industry unique to my own generation. Space can be said to be at a turning point where the previous market and industry structures are changing significantly. If it goes well, it might become a new industry that can only be done in this era.

Because the space industry has various faces such as space security, science, and industry, I think it is an industry expected to contribute not only to employment but also to the economy, society, and presence in the international community. I think many people vaguely feel such expectations.

That's right. To add one thing, it has been decided that Akihiko Hoshide, an astronaut and Keio graduate, will become the second Japanese commander of the International Space Station in 2020.

Right now, many citizens are feeling positive toward the Olympics and Paralympics, but when thinking about what comes next, I feel that space is exactly an area where everyone can empathize and easily take on challenges.

In 2020, while the Japanese national team is working hard at the Olympics on the ground, Mr. Hoshide, one of the representatives of Japan, will be working hard in space. Athletes cannot win just by their own efforts; there are coaches, fans, family, and friends for that purpose. In the case of the space station, it's not just the astronauts, but also flight directors, engineers, family, and friends that make it work. Since that is not well known, I hope that space development will become known along with sports at this timing and permeate into the lives of the citizens.

From now on, we are entering an era where anyone can use various data obtained by satellites in various forms. By changing what was someone else's business into one's own business, the number of players will explode, so I think creating mechanisms and movements where the government, companies, and universities support the ideas and teams born from that will lead to the future.

In terms of specific dreams and hopes for the citizens, I think sending a Japanese astronaut to the lunar surface is the easiest thing to understand. Of course, it costs money.

I have been saying for over 20 years that I want to be the first member of the Diet to go to space. It's getting harder as I get older, though (laughs).

Please do make it happen.

Disasters are occurring frequently due to global warming, but Japan has contributed to solving global problems such as disaster mitigation and environmental protection using data and information from space. I sincerely hope that Japan's space development and utilization will continue to develop by gathering the strength of the public and private sectors to contribute to security in the broad sense of the entire Earth. Thank you very much for your time today.