The Inspirations of Japanese National Space Legislations’ Experience to the other Asian Space-faring States and its effect to the Space Cooperation in this Region

Paper number

IAC-13,E3,1,7,x19891

Author

Mr. Mingyan Nie, Institute of Air and Space Law, University of Cologne, Germany

Year

2013

Abstract

National space legislation could on the one hand regulate the space activities in the state and to make sure the development of space industry and on the other hand promote cooperation with the other states. As the forth nation that joined the space club in 1970, the Japan’s space legislation could provide valuable experience to the other space faring-states in Asia region. Furthermore, if the other Asian space-faring states could follow the Japan’s trajectory, the future space cooperation in Asia will be much more smoothly. The following two reasons could explain this view. 

Firstly, the Japanese 2008 Basic Space Law (BSL) is the first national space legislation in Asia region, and it is not a solely act, it is a basic legal material for a complete “system” which composed by the other legislations: the 2009 “Basic Plan for Space Policy (BSP)” and the “Space Activities Act (SAA)” in the making besides the 2008 BSL.

Secondly, as the researcher found that the member states’ national space legislations in the European Space Agency (ESA) have already generated some conflicts. If the Asian states could make a “model national space law” (the Japan’s space legislation could be took as reference of this model law) in the process of Asian space cooperation. The ESA’s problem will be avoided in the Asia region. 

In this paper, initially I attend to describe the dedicate design of Japanese national space legislations and the mechanism of the whole system in order to conclude some useful tips which could be accepted by all the other Asian states especially the space-faring states.

Then I will focus on the making of the “model national space law”. As national legislation based on the national conditions mostly, it is not easy to achieve agreement among different states on one “model law” or in other words, although we could make such a kind of law, it is a tough job to make sure that all states accept it. So in the making process, some compromise could be made. And my job in this section is to find the possible points of the compromise.

Abstract document

IAC-13,E3,1,7,x19891.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-13,E3,1,7,x19891.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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