National Space Law of Japan: Summary of Act on the Promotion of Business Activities for the Exploration and Development of Space Resources 2021

Abstract

Currently, Thailand has the desire to promote the space economy, as seen from the drafting of the National Space Master Plan B.E.2566-2580 (2023-2037) and the Space Activities Bill B.E. ....., and an activity that Thailand can use to promote the country's space economy is “space mining”. However, the draft National Space Master Plan (2023-2037) has not yet clearly mentioned a list of programs, projects, and activities that will be used as mechanisms to promote space mining. In addition, the bill defines space mining just in the definition of “space activities” only, while Japan has taken a distinctive approach in addressing space mining by explicitly outlining various steps and details within the National Space Law at the specific Act level. This reflects Japan's commitment to establishing a comprehensive framework for regulating and advancing space mining activities. For this reason, this article aims to study Japan's national space law related to the promotion and supervision of space mining, specifically the Act on the Promotion of Business Activities for the Exploration and Development of Space Resources 2021 (Space Resources Act 2021), to be used as a guideline for adapting to Thailand if Thailand intends to have a space mining in the future.