June 22, 2022
As China prepares to send its third crew member to its new space station, it’s clear it is serious about challenging U.S.-allied command of space. Throughout the Cold War, America tackled the Communist Bloc in space almost entirely by itself. This is no longer a sustainable approach. Instead, America will have to work with its space-faring friends starting with Japan – the most significant space power in the Pacific after China.
What are Japan’s military and commercial space capabilities and plans? How might these compliment U.S. and other allied space efforts? What might be done to accelerate space cooperation and collaboration between Tokyo, the U.S., and other friendly space-faring nations?
These questions were answered at NPEC and the Hudson Institute workshop, “How Might Japan’s Race to Space Fortify Pacific Security?” This workshop featured short presentations by Kota Umeda, Deputy Director, Washington D.C. Office, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Komei Isozaki, Japan Chair Fellow, Hudson Institute, and Sam Wilson, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Space Policy and Strategy, The Aerospace Corporation.