Statement by the Head of Japanese Delegation on Agenda item 4 “General exchange of views” at the 60th session of COPUOS
2017/6/9
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Delegates,
On behalf of the Japanese delegation, I am pleased to address the 60th session of COPUOS. First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. David Kendall for his outstanding accomplishments last year as the chairman of the committee and welcome New Zealand as a new member of the Committee. Japan also welcomes the application of Bahrain and Denmark.
Mr. Chairman,
Japan is of the view that COPUOS and UNOOSA have played an important role in following two issues; governance and promotion.
Japan expects COPUOS, where the space treaties were negotiated, to continue serving as a unique forum to enhance the global governance of space activities. Faced with an increasing number of governmental and non-governmental players in outer space and emerging new types of space activities, it is necessary to strengthen a rules-based outer space environment that enhances its safety, stability and sustainability. From this perspective, we support efforts to establish the guidelines for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities and encourage all Member States to play a constructive role to this end.
At the same time, it is also important to promote space activities. Space technology and its applications have immense potential for the social, economic, scientific and technological development of all states, and for tackling global issues. With this knowledge, Japan continually contributes to capacity building in developing countries in order to spread the benefits of space activities more equally. Some of our ongoing programs for capacity building are implemented in cooperation with UNOOSA and we would like to explore opportunities for further cooperation in this area. My delegation would like to elaborate on one of such programs for capacity building via technical presentation later this morning.
Mr. Chairman,
I wish to move on to introduce Japan’s recent space activities.
In the past year, Japan has succeeded in launching six spacecraft from H-IIA Launch Vehicle No.31, 32, 33, and 34, from H-IIB Launch Vehicle No.6 and from the second Epsilon Launch Vehicle. MICHIBIKI No.2, which constitutes a Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), was launched just last week on 1 June. The QZSS is a Japanese navigation satellite system that enables us to expand positioning availability areas and extend availability time by sharing the same signals of GPS. Japan plans to establish a constellation of 4 satellites and begin its formal operation around 2018.
Another notable activity is the 113-day long-duration mission completed by Japanese astronaut, Takuya Onishi on the International Space Station. During his stay from July to October of last year, he conducted various experiments and research, such as a long-term rodent rearing mission to raise mice in orbit for 35 days and to return the living mice to the ground for further experiments. This mission will contribute to research for understanding and treating symptoms related to aging. He also conducted several Asian Try Zero-G experiments, which aims to educate students from Asian countries. This year in the winter, Japanese astronaut, Norishige Kanai is scheduled to be launched to the ISS.
Mr. Chairman,
Lastly, I wish to briefly introduce some international events relating to outer space cooperation.
At the regional level, Japan promotes the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF), which is a unique forum in the region for enhancing space activities and gaining socio-economic benefits of space technologies and their applications. From 15 to 18 November last year, the 23rd session of APRSAF was successfully held in Manila, the Philippines under the theme “Building a Future through Space Science, Technology, and Innovation”. This year, APRSAF-24 will be held from 14 to 17 November, in Bengaluru, India, under the theme “Space Technology for Enhanced Governance and Development”.
As one of the frameworks of global cooperation, I would also like to touch upon the International Space Exploration Forum, or ISEF. We would like to reaffirm the importance of international cooperation in the field of space exploration and appreciate the initiative of the United States to host the ISEF meeting in 2014, following the dialogue initiated by the European Commission and the European Space Agency, and most recently held in Italy in November 2011. ISEF was characterized as a first ministerial-level forum to discuss the vision of our future space exploration programs. Japan believes that this forum could be a mechanism for coordinating global space exploration efforts and hopes to contribute to the further development of this unique forum by hosting the 2nd meeting of ISEF on 3 March, 2018.
As already mentioned, Japan also contributes to GNSS using QZSS. As a GNSS provider participating in the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) established within COPUOS, we look forward to hosting the 12th meeting of the ICG in Kyoto from 2 to 7 December of this year.
Mr. Chairman,
I will end my statement by reiterating that Japan will continue to cooperate for the peaceful exploration and use of outer space in close cooperation with COPUOS.
Thank you for your kind attention.
On behalf of the Japanese delegation, I am pleased to address the 60th session of COPUOS. First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. David Kendall for his outstanding accomplishments last year as the chairman of the committee and welcome New Zealand as a new member of the Committee. Japan also welcomes the application of Bahrain and Denmark.
Mr. Chairman,
Japan is of the view that COPUOS and UNOOSA have played an important role in following two issues; governance and promotion.
Japan expects COPUOS, where the space treaties were negotiated, to continue serving as a unique forum to enhance the global governance of space activities. Faced with an increasing number of governmental and non-governmental players in outer space and emerging new types of space activities, it is necessary to strengthen a rules-based outer space environment that enhances its safety, stability and sustainability. From this perspective, we support efforts to establish the guidelines for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities and encourage all Member States to play a constructive role to this end.
At the same time, it is also important to promote space activities. Space technology and its applications have immense potential for the social, economic, scientific and technological development of all states, and for tackling global issues. With this knowledge, Japan continually contributes to capacity building in developing countries in order to spread the benefits of space activities more equally. Some of our ongoing programs for capacity building are implemented in cooperation with UNOOSA and we would like to explore opportunities for further cooperation in this area. My delegation would like to elaborate on one of such programs for capacity building via technical presentation later this morning.
Mr. Chairman,
I wish to move on to introduce Japan’s recent space activities.
In the past year, Japan has succeeded in launching six spacecraft from H-IIA Launch Vehicle No.31, 32, 33, and 34, from H-IIB Launch Vehicle No.6 and from the second Epsilon Launch Vehicle. MICHIBIKI No.2, which constitutes a Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), was launched just last week on 1 June. The QZSS is a Japanese navigation satellite system that enables us to expand positioning availability areas and extend availability time by sharing the same signals of GPS. Japan plans to establish a constellation of 4 satellites and begin its formal operation around 2018.
Another notable activity is the 113-day long-duration mission completed by Japanese astronaut, Takuya Onishi on the International Space Station. During his stay from July to October of last year, he conducted various experiments and research, such as a long-term rodent rearing mission to raise mice in orbit for 35 days and to return the living mice to the ground for further experiments. This mission will contribute to research for understanding and treating symptoms related to aging. He also conducted several Asian Try Zero-G experiments, which aims to educate students from Asian countries. This year in the winter, Japanese astronaut, Norishige Kanai is scheduled to be launched to the ISS.
Mr. Chairman,
Lastly, I wish to briefly introduce some international events relating to outer space cooperation.
At the regional level, Japan promotes the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF), which is a unique forum in the region for enhancing space activities and gaining socio-economic benefits of space technologies and their applications. From 15 to 18 November last year, the 23rd session of APRSAF was successfully held in Manila, the Philippines under the theme “Building a Future through Space Science, Technology, and Innovation”. This year, APRSAF-24 will be held from 14 to 17 November, in Bengaluru, India, under the theme “Space Technology for Enhanced Governance and Development”.
As one of the frameworks of global cooperation, I would also like to touch upon the International Space Exploration Forum, or ISEF. We would like to reaffirm the importance of international cooperation in the field of space exploration and appreciate the initiative of the United States to host the ISEF meeting in 2014, following the dialogue initiated by the European Commission and the European Space Agency, and most recently held in Italy in November 2011. ISEF was characterized as a first ministerial-level forum to discuss the vision of our future space exploration programs. Japan believes that this forum could be a mechanism for coordinating global space exploration efforts and hopes to contribute to the further development of this unique forum by hosting the 2nd meeting of ISEF on 3 March, 2018.
As already mentioned, Japan also contributes to GNSS using QZSS. As a GNSS provider participating in the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) established within COPUOS, we look forward to hosting the 12th meeting of the ICG in Kyoto from 2 to 7 December of this year.
Mr. Chairman,
I will end my statement by reiterating that Japan will continue to cooperate for the peaceful exploration and use of outer space in close cooperation with COPUOS.
Thank you for your kind attention.