Date:03/09/18

Japan Plans to Launch Satellites that will Monitor Space Junk

With the rise of satellites and space exploration comes a proliferation of space junk. As a way to protect their assets from the potentially dangerous debris, Japan is planning to launch special satellites.
 
The satellites are set to launch in fiscal 2028 and this endeavour would mark Japan’s first satellites designed to monitor outer space. Currently, Tokyo’s space surveillance initiatives depend primarily on information given to them by the U.S. military.
 
Although Japan’s Defense Ministry presently operates satellites, they are only used for purposes like communication with Self-Defense Forces troops or an early warning system.
 
However, the Defense Ministry is expected to start Earth-based surveillance of space in 2023. In its fiscal 2019 budget, the organization asked for money to purchase a radar system able to observe space at heights over 5,800 km, which it plans to situate in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
 
As Asgardia works towards their goal of protecting the Earth from space threats developments like these can be of use.
 
What’s more, the budget request also accounted for funds that will help with research concerning launching space-based monitoring satellites. This type of research involves measures to avoid collisions between satellites and provisions for the safe use of space.
 
The Cabinet Office and the science ministry will come together for a discussion in which details such as the timing to unveil this network and the number of satellites will be decided.
 
Even though Japan is a U.S. ally it does not mean that Washington will provide Tokyo with all of the information they gathered from monitoring space. Therefore, the ground-based radar system will provide Japan with its own information, however that data will be limited due to the fact that radar can be negatively affected when there is bad weather. Thus, a network of satellites gives Japan a much more comprehensive monitoring ability.
 
Space situational awareness (SSA) satellites not only observe the movement of suspicious satellites they also watch for space debris circling Earth at high speed including pieces of defunct rockets, satellites, and other objects. If the SSA satellite detects that a Japanese satellite is in danger, it will let operators on the ground know who can then instruct the satellite to change its orbit and circumvent a crash.
 
The government estimates each SSA satellite will cost approximately ¥15 billion, while each rocket launch will cost between ¥5 billion to ¥10 billion.
 
The government started to think about unrolling SSA satellites as a result of the rising threat posed to Japanese satellites by ever increasing components of space debris. Satellites are crucial for citizens in fields such as security, observation, telecommunications, and positioning systems.
 
For example, if a communications satellite used by the Self-Defense Forces collided with space debris, then it could impact command and control of units on the ground. Or, if an information-gathering satellite was damaged, the nation’s surveillance capabilities would be impaired.

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