Japan Defining New Space Organizations

A Special Report By Marc Boucher with Frank Sietzen

The merging of Japan’s multiple space organizations into one as yet-unnamed office is challenging the way Japanese space officials both plan and manage their space programs, senior Japanese space officials tell this column. And while there are no layoffs planned, it is not yet clear what effects the changes will have on established Japanese space priorities. The change to the new structure was accelerated by the recent failure and subsequent cancellation of the H-II launcher. Japan’s new space program redesign faces its first challenge later this summer with the maiden flight of the H-IIA booster. The country has placed the future of Japan’s satellite and space station utilization plans with the fate of the launcher, a highly modified version of the prior H-II.

Launch vehicles in general are a special focus in Japan independent of the reorganization, which began April 1st. Seven Japanese industrial firms joined together last month to develop the “Galaxy Express”, a small-to-medium lift expendable booster. The firms, IHI Aerospace, Japan Aerospace Electronics Industries Inc., Kokusai Souko, Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corp., Fuji Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries banded together to invest $1 million initially in the venture, which will need to grow to $400-$500 million before fielding a prototype launch vehicle. The group named Yuri Kitamura, Deputy Director of the IHI Aerospace unit as the new organization’s CEO. Marketing of the booster will begin in October, sources say, and the Japanese government is expected to participate, although the amount of the government’s role has not been set. The Galaxy project officials said that launch vehicle technology from the U.S. and Russian Federation would be imported to Japan to reduce the development cost of the vehicle. Configuration definition was expected to be completed in March 2005 with launches commencing thereafter.

The movement towards commercial space development and a lessening of the role of the national government is part of a global trend as national treasuries’ investments in space continue to diminish.

On April 1st the first round of consolidations towards the new central space operation began in Japan. The Science and Technology Agency and Ministry of Education became the Ministry of Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The existing NASDA used to be part of the STA and the ISAS space science organization was part of the Ministry of Education. Both space organizations were merged into the new Ministry. Japan’s National Aerospace Laboratory will also become an independent agency under the new reorganization but also part of the new Ministry. The new Ministry will also manage the NAL. The name of the centralized space operation within the Ministry has not yet been chosen, but it will not carry either names of its precursor organizations. The physical location of the space management office will be in the offices previously occupied by ISAS. Its General Manager will be Junjiro Onoda, who was the Director of ISAS’ Technology Division. Deputies will be Masahiko Nagayasu, who previously was senior general manager of NAL, and Kazuo Yoshikawa, who was executive director of NASDA. The new, combined space budget will take $8.1 million (970 million yen) from NAL, ISAS bringing $3.2 million and NASDA allocating $16.3 million for a total $27.6 million. Programs within the new space organization, and their respective budgets, are:

• Engine Core R&D: $7.9 million
  
• Enlargement of Launching of Satellites: $50,000
  
• Network infrastructure: $117,000

Work structures used in the previous ISAS, NAL, and NASDA organizations will be preserved.

Editor’s Note: Our review of the latest COMSTAC reports and our study of Australia’s Project Aurora are coming up June 1st.

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