Space

Space security, market growth for the space industry and the ever-growing importance of space utilisation have led to a shift from government-led space development to a new era of public-private initiative. The Government supports start-up companies involved in small satellites and small launchers, and deploys policies encouraging downrange applications of existing infrastructure. Many of these ventures hire quite a few foreign employees and include international activities in their programs from the beginning. The EBC would wish the Japanese Government to actively promote cooperation and integration of Japanese and European ventures.

In March 2021 SKY Perfect JSAT and Airbus Defence and Space signed a procurement contract for the Superbird-9 communications satellite. It was the first time that a Japanese satellite operator selected a European satellite. The EBC warmly welcomed this development and hoped for an increase of lively Japan-Europe industrial.

Regarding government satellites, since 1990 those with business and practical applications have been procured through international tenders. Up to now they have included the Multi-functional Transport Satellite (MTSAT) and Meteorological satellite series. Direct bids by foreign companies are legally possible, but the tender documents should be written in Japanese, and there are some other legal and practical “glass barriers”; for instance, most of the communications and announcements are done in Japanese.

Regarding launchers, international development competition has heated up, and the demand for lower launch costs is reaching an unsustainable level. Japan has developed H3 and Europe Ariane 6. The first flight of H3 failed in March 2023 but it was successful in four more launches. On the other hand, the first test flight of Ariane 6 successfully occurred in July 2024 followed by the picture perfect first commercial launch in March 2025. Its commercialisation is already very successful.

Concerned by Japan’s technological lag and future loss of competitiveness, experts have started work on a concept and a strategy towards a next-generation “revolutionary future space transport system”. A committee established by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to study a roadmap towards its realization is considering a rapidly upgraded version of H3 for government missions and private missions to the Moon and Mars. Its simultaneous, albeit longer-term subject is a fully re-usable space plane for point-to-point (such as Tokyo-Paris) high-speed commercial travel with an estimated market of tens of billions of euros. It mentions the importance of international cooperation in these developments. Regarding re-usability of the revolutionary future space transport system, France’s space agency CNES (National Centre for Space Studies), Germany’s aerospace center (DLR) and JAXA are working together on Callisto, a reduced-scale reusability demonstrator.

Launcher activities regarding small satellites and constellations have been more dynamic than expected. However, not only is the future outlook of individual initiatives uncertain, but integrating satellite manufacture, launch and services into a single company would also not increase their accessible market. As both H3 and Ariane 6 will need improved versions, a full cooperation on these would be conductive to drastically lower costs and innovation avenues, leading to more competitiveness and more international contributions. It is also probably indispensable in order for Japan and Europe to maintain their independent space transportation systems.