Japanese space programs: Orientation towards the exploration of the bodies of the Solar System

The article discusses Japan’s policy in the field of space program development. The emphasis is on the analysis of scientific projects in the field of space. While, initially, the launches of spacecraft were aimed at studying the solar wind and cosmic radiation, over the years, there has been a shift in Japan’s space policy towards the exploration of the bodies of the Solar System. This was accompanied by the construction of their own spacecraft, as well as participation in international projects for the exploration of the Moon, Mars, and Mercury. At the beginning of the 21st century, Japan began to carry out quite complex missions to explore celestial bodies, where considerable attention is directed towards the study of small celestial bodies, asteroids. Assessing the current state of development of Japanese space programs, the authors note that one of the main directions of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s activities today is the implementation of Moon exploration projects. Together with the European Space Agency and NASA, Japan is planning another promising and ambitious mission to fly to the satellites of Mars. At the same time, the country actively participates in international cooperation, bringing together the countries of the Asia-Pacific region within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum. Japan is an undoubted leader in this organization, which allows it to develop international cooperation in areas which are of interest to it. The analysis of the space programs implemented by Japan demonstrates the country’s significant success in the development of modern space technologies, while it has a much smaller space budget compared to the United States or China. According to the authors, the Japanese model of space research organization brings substantial results, which is based on its three components: active involvement of private business in space programs, the use of the country’s scientific potential for the development of space projects, and participation in international cooperation, which allows attracting research and financial resources of other countries for the implementation of space programs.

1. Blokhina, T.K., Moshaev, I.A., Myslyaeva I.N., Pavlov I.A., Fesyanova O.A. (2023). Aziatskaya kosmicheskaya gonka: novye prioritety na promyshlennoe osvoenie tel Solnechnoi sistemy [The Asian Space Race: New Priorities for the Industrial Development of Solar System Bodies]. Problemy Dal’nego Vostoka [Far Eastern Studies], 5, 65–77. DOI: 10.31857/S013128120027584-3 (In Russian).

2. Borisova, E.A., Leonov, V.A. (2023). Yaponiya kak uchastnik programmy Artemis: plany po dobyche poleznykh iskopaemykh na Lune [Japan as a Participant of the Artemis Program: Plans for Mining on the Moon]. Vostochnaya analitika, 14 (3), 18–25. DOI: 10.31696/2227-5568-2023-03-018-025 (In Russian).

3. Longson, J.M. Yaponskii sputnik [The Japanese Satellite]. Zamons. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https:// zamons.com/ru/article/1988834-iaponskii-sputnik (In Russian).

4. Soldatova, A.O. (2022). Otsenka effektivnosti strategii «vsepogodnogo» portfelya dlya passivnogo investirovaniya [Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the «All-Weather» Portfolio Strategy for Passive Investment]. Sberegatel’noe delo za rubezhom [Savings business abroad], 3, 47–57. (In Russian).

5. Tutnova, T.A. (2013). Kosmicheskie programmy Indii, Kitaya, Yaponii [Space programs of India, China, Japan]. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya. Politologiya. Regionovedenie Vestnik Nizhegorodskogo universiteta im. N.I. Lobachevskogo [International Relations. Political Science. Regional Studies. Bulletin of the Nizhny Novgorod University Named After N.I. Lobachevsky], 3 (1), 362–367. (In Russian).

6. Zaitsev, V.K. (1992). Mekhanizm realizatsii dostizhenii nauchno-tekhnicheskogo progressa v ekonomike Yaponii [The Mechanism of Realization of Achievements of Scientific and Technological Progress in the Japanese Economy]. Abstract of the dissertation for the Doctor of Economics degree. Moscow: IMEMO. (In Russian).