Author: The Yomiuri Shimbun
The science and technology ministry is drafting a policy in which the private sector will participate in the building and management of the successor to the International Space Station. The next space station is being developed by a U.S. company. The current ISS was an initiative of the United States and was completed in 2011 but is expected to cease operations in 2030 due to aging.
The United States plans to have the private sector build and manage the next space station. The Japanese government is also considering having a module, similar to the Kibo Japanese experiment module on the ISS, be built and operated by the private sector on the next space station.
The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry hopes to privatize Japan’s manned base of operations and expand its space business.
The ISS is jointly operated by five space agencies from Japan, the United States, Europe, Canada and Russia, including Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and NASA, and managed with funds contributed by each country. However, the United States plans to turn to private companies to build the next space station.
U.S. firm Axiom Space Inc. has already signed a contract with NASA to connect its facility to the ISS. Axiom Space is moving forward with a plan to develop and operate the facility as a commercial space station.
The draft policy specifies how Japan will be involved with the next space station. According to the draft, “the private sector will have such responsibilities as managing [the new space station], and JAXA will support its use.”
JAXA is currently responsible to the management and maintenance of the ISS and serves as the point of contact for its commercial use. However, the government will select a Japanese private-sector company to be the point of contact for the next space station.
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