Zeitschrift für Japanisches Recht
Heft Nr.13 / 7. Jahrgang 2002

Space Activities and Space Law in Japan

Ingo Baumann
Olaf Christoph Achtelik

 

I.      Introduction

II.     A Short History of Japanese Space Activities 

III.    Japanese Space Authorities and Institutions

1.   Space Activities Commission  (SAC)
2.   National Space Development Agency  (NASDA)
3.   Institute of Space and Astronautical Science  (ISAS) 
4.   National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL)
5.   Council for Science and Technology Policy and Other Institutions
6.  Involvement of the Space Industry
7.   Current Developments

IV.    Japanese Space Law and Policy

1.   Law Establishing NASDA
2.   Law Partially Amending the NASDA Law: Third-Party Liability Resulting from NASDA Launch Activities
3.     Fundamental Policy of Japan’s Space Activities
4.   Science and Technology Basic Law

V.      International Cooperation

1.   Civil Co-operation with the U.S., the Russian Federation, France, and Germany
2.   Co-operation with the U.S. in Security and Defence Space Activities
3.     Participation in the Evolution of Space Law
4.     Participation in the International Space Station
5.   Inter-Agency Consultative Group for Space Science (IACG)

VI.    Current Activities and Developments

VII.   Conclusion

 

 

“Life on earth started in the sea, then moved to land and then to the sky.
Mankind, now in the forefront of evolution,
is using science and technology to move into space.”

– Preface of the Fundamental Policy of Japan’s Space Activities –

 

I.   Introduction

In the belief of many lawyers, space law still belongs to the realm of science fiction. Some may have heard of the possibility of buying real property on the moon, but the corresponding offer on the Internet has less to do with space law – national appropriation of the moon is prohibited under the Outer Space Treaty as well as under the Moon Treaty[1] – than with criminal law. Contrary to this general attitude, space law is not only


[1]      Art. 2 of the Outer Space Treaty provides that “Outer Space, including the moon and other..