Toward a 2026 Reform of Japan’s Space Activities Act: Clarifying Legal Frontiers in Suborbital, Reusable, and Crewed Missions
August 5, 2025
Key Words: Japan Space Law, Space Activities Act (Japan), Japanese Space Policy, Japan Space Strategy, Suborbital Flights Japan, Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV) Japan, Human Spaceflight Regulation Japan, Payload Reentry Japan, Space Resource Utilization Japan, Government Indemnification Scheme, Third-Party Liability Space Launch, Satellite Licensing Japan, International Alignment Outer Space Treaty, Japanese Space Industry Market Size, Space Strategy Fund Japan, Space Policy Commission Japan, Interim Report on Space Activities Act Review, Space Law Reform Japan 2026, Commercial Space Development Japan, Emerging Space Technologies Regulation Japan.
I. Introduction: Legal Reform on the Horizon[1]
Japan is increasingly emerging as a serious contender in the global space economy. According to the Japanese Cabinet Office, the domestic space industry reached a market size of JPY 4 trillion (approx. USD 27 billion) in 2020 and is expected to expand to JPY 8 trillion by the early 2030s.[2] As part of this growth strategy, Japan established a Space Strategy Fund totaling JPY 1 trillion over 10 years[3] in 2024 to support private-sector innovation and commercial launch technologies.
However, this surge in innovation has increasingly outpaced the current legal framework. The Space Activities Act, which came into force in 2018, primarily governs orbital launches and satellite operations. It provides little to no regulatory clarity for several emerging activities such as suborbital flights, reusable launch systems, payload reentry, and human spaceflight.
In response to these evolving situations, the Japanese government plans to revise the 2016 Space Activities Act by 2026. This article outlines Japan’s current legal framework, recent policy developments, and key regulatory issues shaping the future of its space law landscape.
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[2] Cabinet Office of Japan, “Basic Space Policy Plan” (June 2023), p.10.
[3] Cabinet Office of Japan, “Overall Plan of Space Strategy Fund” (April 2025), p.1.