[Title] Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space 68th Session 25 June

Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space 68th Session
25 June – 2 July 2025
Item 4 : General exchange of views.

Chair, Distinguished Delegates,

It is a privilege to address you today, as Japan's Minister of State for Space

Policy, at the 68th Session of UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

Chair,

The recent increase in space debris presents a shared challenge for all

nations engaged in space activities, as it threatens the long-term sustainable use of outer space.

Japan has long recognized this challenge and continues to take concrete steps to address it through our domestic law and guidelines on space debris. Following the establishment of our Space Activities Act in 2016, Japan implemented the Guidelines on Licensing On-Orbit Servicing in 2021, to ensure transparency for on-orbit servicing. In February 2025, Japan formulated new Guidelines on Collision Avoidance with Satellites, which set national standards to prevent close approaches and collisions during orbital operations.

To further support space sustainability, the Government of Japan has backed domestic companies advancing debris mitigation technologies.

A notable example is the pioneering initiative known as the Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration jointly carried out by JAXA and the Japanese startup Astroscale. The first phase of this project successfully demonstrated rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), including acquiring the images of the target space debris within 15 meters last year. The second phase is expected to demonstrate Active Debris Removal (ADR) in 2027.

Japan is committed to conducting on-orbit servicing, including ADR, in a safe and transparent manner under the domestic guidelines.

Chair,

We are also engaging with the international community. Japan is proud to

support capacity-building initiatives such as the Space Law for New Actors project, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), and the National Space Law Initiative (NSLI) under the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF). In this regard, Japan is pleased to inform you that the third NSLI report has been jointly submitted to the 68th session by its 11 member states.

Looking forward, for our future on-orbit servicing in outer space, we intend to clarify the standard coordination matters among stakeholders, including governments and private companies. This summer, Japan will launch a joint study involving the Government and the private sector, with the engagement of overseas experts. Through the study, Japan aims to contribute to discussions about international on-orbit servicing.

Moreover, as lunar exploration advances, Japan recognizes the need to begin discussions on recommendations for space debris mitigation and disposal management in lunar orbit and on the lunar surface.

Before I close, I warmly invite you all to join our side event today at 1:10 p.m. where Japan will provide further details on its new domestic initiative, as well as Japanese private and public sectors contributions, including those from JICA, Japan International Cooperation Agency. I also look forward to a new announcement from JAXA on the KiboCUBE program. We highly encourage your participation.

Chair, distinguished Delegates,

Thank you for your kind attention.