Cleared to launch: space programs poised for major expansion in Asia.

• Author: Jean, Grace V.
• Position: Science and Technology

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SAPPORO, Japan -- Japan's government is about to kick off a major expansion of the nation's space programs. The goal is to broaden the scope of space research from traditional areas such as exploration into new military and commercial applications.

The intent is to boost the country's space industry and, over time, become less dependent on foreign suppliers such as the United States.

"There was a huge inferiority complex for the Japanese industry, that we needed to catch up with the top-level, state-of-the-art technology," says Hokkaido University associate professor Kazuto Suzuki.

These goals would have been unrealistic until Japan's legislature passed a law that for the first time creates a dedicated space bureau--run by a controversial politician, Seiko Noda.

"They knew they had to change their space law and their space organization because they were not structured and organized in order to compete in the 21st century," says Vincent Sabathier, senior fellow and director of space initiatives at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

The Japanese government beginning in the 1970s invested 4 trillion yen into research and development projects, including satellites, rockets, launchers, exploration spacecraft, and most recently, Kibo, the experimental module that was installed aboard the International Space Station this summer.

But critics for years have questioned the return on investment in space. "It's really difficult to justify such an amount of money," especially at a time when the nation's public debt is running at 180 percent of its gross domestic product, says Suzuki.

The new policy seeks to ensure that expenditures in space programs yield tangible benefits. "If we spend money in space, it's because it's useful. For example, an investment in the earth observation satellite is justifiable because Japan is an earthquake-prone country," he says. "We need the earth observation satellite to monitor the aftermath of earthquakes."

In the defense sector, Suzuki expects to see much change. Previously, the Japanese restricted the use of space for peaceful purposes only. That meant the Ministry of Defense was banned from operating or owning space systems.

Without an immediate threat to its territory, Japan had little need for military surveillance satellites. Commercial standards were adequate for self-defense forces.

That situation changed dramatically in 1998 when North Korea flew a missile...